2025 September Newsletter. | | This month, President Santiago focuses on children's vision. We welcome two new SVOSH chapters in Jordan and Nigeria, share reports from clinics in Honduras and Haiti, an academic visit to Vietnam and the Philippines, celebrate an award to a long-time VOSH volunteer, and share important publications, including the Spanish translation of the WHO RESAT. Lastly, a reminder that our Annual Meeting takes place on October 12th in Boston. If you are attending the AAO meeting, please come and say hello. We will be at booth 510. | | |
This month, President Santiago focuses on children’s vision, its importance, and the work of VOSH chapters and different organisations in this area.
Read the article here and the Spanish version here.
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Our Annual Meeting is a few days away
The program features a great selection of speakers and experiences from all over the world.
If you are in Boston, please visit our booth at the AAO meeting (Booth 510) and support the fundraising dinner for our SVOSH African chapters.
You can find more information here.
See you in Boston or via Zoom.
| | | We welcome two new SVOSH chapters in Jordan and Nigeria. Today VOSH/International has 122 affiliated chapters in 33 countries. You can see a nice map of our chapters distribution here | |
SVOSH-JUST-Jordan
The Jordanian University of Science and Technology (JUST) has joined VOSH/International. We are delighted to welcome our third chapter in Jordan. The optometry program started in 2000 and have a solid outreach work. Read more about this chapter here.
You can contact the faculty adviser Prof May Bakkar at mmbakkar@just.edu.jo
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SVOSH-Bingham-Nigeria
Bingham University is relatively young but full of great plans. The students’ leadership is active and well-connected with national students’ associations like the Nigerian Optometry Students Association (NOSA) and international ones like Optoglobe. A warm welcome to this new SVOSH chapter. You can contact the faculty adviser, Dr. Agbonlahor, at osazeeagbonlahor@yahoo.com
and the SVOSH President, Praise Olusegun, at plusegu@gmail.com
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SVOSH-NSUOCO returns from Honduras
The SVOSH chapter at the Northeastern State University Oklahoma College of Optometry returned to Roatan, Honduras in August.
A team of 14 optometry students and 3 ODs served 588 patients over 4 days of work. Following the tradition, they share a beautiful report on their experience and impact.
You can read their report here.
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VOSH-PA is back in Haiti
Between September 22 and 25, VOSH-PA returned to the New Hope Hospital in Plaine du Nord in the northern Haiti. In collaboration with VOSH/International, they selected two Haitian optometry students from the second graduating class to join them. The students, Marie Sanon Landy and Loovensky Saintfleur received a trial lens set, a trial frame and eye charts to support their work. The team saw 527 patients with 16 cataract referrals to be cared for by Vision Plus in Cap Haitien and 33 prescription glasses. This clinic also marked the start of a partnership with Keralink, which provided premade Rxs and a kit of frames. Keralink will support VOSH-PA with the prescription glasses needed.
For more information, contact Dr Mark Rakoczy, President of VOSH-PA at mrakoczy831@gmail.com
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VOSH Ambassador Prof. Bruce Moore visits the optometry schools in Vietnam and the Philippines
Prof Bruce Moore completed an ambassador visit to the optometry school in Hanoi, Vietnam and the Manila Central University College of Optometry, in the Philippines. In Vietnam, he participated in the 5th Global Orthokeratology & Myopia Control Conference and the 3rd Optometry Vietnam Conference, ably organised by Min Ahn Tran, head of the Optometry School at the Hanoi Medical University and her team. Prof Moore was presented with an honorary professorship in recognition of his long-term support for the optometry program. In this event, Dr Jennifer Viñola, faculty adviser of SVOSH-MCU received her fellowship on myopia management from the Asia Optometric Congress during this event.
In the Philippines, Prof Bruce offered a two-day clinical pediatric training for over a hundred optometry students, faculty, and representatives of the association of optometrists. He motivated this group to engage actively in pediatric community screenings and advocate for the profession. You can read a report of the activity submitted by Dr Viñola here.
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Jeffrey Weaver, OD receives the AFOS Orion Award
The Association of Armed Forces and Federal Optometric Services (AFOS) recently bestowed the highest honor, the Orion Award, to our incoming Vice President, Dr Jeffrey Weaver. The Orion Award recognises the most significant contributions to the advancement of AFOS and Optometry. We celebrate Dr Weaver’s unwavering commitment to optometry and its development.
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ODs needed for Costa Rica
Hopeful Ways, an all-volunteer organization, has been providing eye care medical missions to Central America for over a decade. They need volunteers for their next clinic in Costa Rica in January 2026. The clinic will be held at the Hospital De la Anexion in Nicoya, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, between January 24 and Feb 1, 2026, including travel dates
The Nicoya Hospital currently serves 450,000 people with only 1 optometrist. There are nearly 3000 patients on a waiting list for an eye examination. The clinic will serve 1250 people.
For more information, contact: Jim Carlins, President & Project Manager at jjcarlins@hopefulways.org or 716-909-8942 (mobile)
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Webinar “Thyroid Eye Disease: Can I Talk About My Eyes?”
Join the Vision Health Advocacy Coalition and Prevent Blindness on World Sight Day, October 9, for a webinar on “Thyroid Eye Disease: Can I Talk About My Eyes?” on the importance of eye health in the thyroid community from an endocrinologist and an individual living with thyroid eye disease.
You can register here
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The WHO RESAT is available in Spanish
Thanks to VOSH/International President, Dr Santiago, the WHO RESAT (Refractive Error Situation Analysis Tool) document has been translated into Spanish and is now available at the WHO repository.
Gracias al Dr. Santiago, presidente de VOSH/International el documento de la OMS Instrumento de Análisis de la Situación de los Errores de Refracción (RESAT) está disponible en español en el repositorio de la OMS.
You can download the document here/Descargue el documento aquí
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The Value of Vision: The Case for Investing in Eye Health
This report, released by IAPB in partnership with Seva Foundation and The Fred Hollows Foundation, presents the evidence of the high returns on investing in eye health interventions.
You can find more information here.
| | | Challenges and Practices in the Management of Childhood Myopia Progression Among Nigerian Optometrists-A Cross-sectional National Survey | | |
This survey assessed the practices, challenges, and barriers faced by Nigerian optometrists in the control of childhood myopia in Nigeria. Significant gaps in the adoption of advanced myopia control strategies were observed largely because of perceived barriers such as financial constraints and medico-legal concerns. Dr Ngozi Precious Uwagboe, faculty adviser of SVOSH-UNIBEN, was part of the research team.
You can access the paper here.
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