Meet our Board member Dr Kirsten d'Aversa Johnson

Dr d'Aversa Johnson joined the VOSH/International Board of Directors in 2021. Learn more about our youngest Board member and her vision in this snapshot interview available here.

VOSH-Ohio is looking for volunteers 

The Georgetown Lion's Club in Guyana is partnering with VOSH-Ohio to offer eye health care to communities in need there. VOSH-Ohio is looking for an OD to join their team for this clinic. The time frame is the second week in October 2022. If you are interested please contact Barbara Plaugher, RN at barbara.plaugher@gmail or 419-204-2242

VOSH-Southeast returns from clinic in Guatemala

Early March a team of VOSH-Southeast in collaboration with Mission El Faro, Eye for God Ministries organised a humanitarian clinic in Guatemala reaching 442 patients in 5 rural communities. Thirty-three referred patients will undergo eye surgery in April. Read the full report here.

SVOSH-IMSU serves rural community in Nigeria

Students and faculty of the SVOSH chapter at the Imo State University in Nigeria carried out a humanitarian clinic at the Ogbaku community, Mbaitoli Local Government Area of Imo State, supported by a small VOSH/I grant. Work has started to analyse the data in collaboration with our Data Committee. You can read the preliminary report here, check the poster of pictures here or watch a video of the day here.

VOSH-Fumvision-Dominican Republic opens community vision center in Santiago

Congratulations to our colleagues of VOSH-Fumvision for reaching an important milestone with the opening of their community vision center in Santiago. The community will access optometric and ophthalmology services and information to maintain good eye health, eye and other health professionals can receive training on primary eye health care. Enyel Rodriguez, president of this chapter, and his team look forward to continue servicing Dominicans in need. We wish them success with their operations. See more pictures of the opening here.

Factsheet on intersectionality

Persons with disabilities -including visual disabilities-are not a homogenous group. Disability intersects with other identity factors such as gender, age, poverty, ethnicity, language, religion, sexual orientation, and area of living. People face multiple forms of discrimination which often intersect and compound each other. Light of the World has published this fact sheet to raise awareness on the need to respond to the complexities of people’s situations rather than to just one aspect of their lives. You can download the fact sheet here.

Two pieces on the impact of vision care on education and livelihoods for children and women.

La conexión de la salud visual con el éxito en la primera infancia is available on page 47 here.

Women's and Girls' Access to Vision Care Affects Education and Livelihoods is available here.

On Ukraine

VOSH/International is in contact with the Polish Society of Optometry and Optics (PTOO) and the European Council of Optometry and Optics (ECOO) to support the mid and long term planning to address the impact of this evolving humanitarian crisis. We will provide updates on the developments. If you are particularly interested in this work please contact [email protected].

VOSH/International delegation to IAPB's event

Thirty representatives of VOSH and SVOSH chapters were supported to attend the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) hybrid event. A feedback session will be organised to share lessons learned and identify areas of potential work. Thanks for your participation.