Orbis International

We were thrilled to attend the #COECSA 11th Annual Congress, in #Zimbabwe, recently! The College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa (COECSA) brought together eye care professionals from across Africa and beyond for an enriching three days of networking and knowledge-sharing in the eye health field. Orbis speakers shared valuable insights with fellow delegates on critical eye health topics. A big thank you to our amazing team including: - Hilary Twiggs, Director of Clinical Training and Clinical Services – Opportunities in ophthalmology, Young Ophthalmology Forum. Hilary discussed the opportunities and resources available for young ophthalmologists including Cybersight and the Phaco program. - Professor Ciku Mathenge, Regional Medical Advisor – Exam preparation drawing from her personal journey to professorship. - Dr. Alemayehu Sisay, Country Director Orbis Ethiopia – His talk featured statistics, progress made, and the critical need for more partners to join the effort to fully eliminate trachoma across Africa. - Dr. Simon Holland, Orbis Canada Board Chairperson – Corneal advances showcasing best practices emerging from recent studies. - Lucia Mvula Nadaf, Country Director Orbis Zambia – Closing the gender gap in eye health to improve service delivery outcomes for women and girls. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped make this event a success! #COECSA2024 #Africa #Ophthalmology

During week two of our Flying Eye Hospital project eye teams honed their pediatric surgical skills. Thanks to the support of Title Sponsor, OMEGA SA, and Orbis donors around the world, we’re helping improve access to quality eye care for children in Mongolia. https://lnkd.in/eiwZVaDe

Watch part 4 of Bulgan's homecoming to Mongolia as she has a chance encounter with a patient who had the same unique eye injury she did as a child.

*Highlights from #COECSA 11th Annual Congress!* Held in beautiful Victoria Falls (known locally as Mosi-oa-Tunya), #Zimbabwe, the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central, and Southern Africa (COECSA) brought together eye care professionals from across Africa and beyond for an enriching three days of networking and knowledge-sharing. Inspired by a shared passion for advancing eye health and improving the lives of the communities they serve, delegates learned from the brightest minds in the sector, exchanged ideas—collectively shaping the future of vision care. Speakers from Orbis led sessions and shared valuable insights on important eye health topics such as corneal advances, gender, trachoma elimination, and resources and tips to support young ophthalmologists. Thank you to all attendees and the team from Orbis for their commitment to improving eye care around the world. #COECSA2024 #Africa #Ophthalmology

As our Flying Eye Hospital project in Mongolia comes to a close, we want to thank the Title Sponsor of week three, Alcon Foundation. The Alcon Foundation has been a generous supporter of Orbis for more than forty years, providing monetary donations for the Flying Eye Hospital. Alcon has also supplied state-of-the-art ophthalmic equipment and surgical products through Alcon Cares. During the project, Alcon’s expert biomedical engineers also led a workshop in Ulaanbaatar to train local teams to operate and maintain critical ophthalmic technology. “Alcon sees a world where treatable, preventable conditions that affect individuals’ eye health receive the attention they need, when they need it, regardless of geography, gender, age or socioeconomic status,” said Charles Herget, President, Alcon Cares. “We know that the only way to make quality eye care more available and accessible is by cultivating self-sustaining eye health ecosystems and developing well-trained eye care teams. That’s why we’re proud to support Orbis and its programs that tackle avoidable vision loss by building strong and sustainable eye care systems worldwide.” We’d like to say a huge thank you to Alcon for being such a committed eye care partner.

This is Komol, a 72-year-old farmer from Bangladesh whose vision was recently saved thanks to Orbis supporters. When he began experiencing problems with his sight, Komol feared for his livelihood. But with the help of the Orbis community, he was able to visit one of the 41 vision centers established in Bangladesh by Orbis. There, he was diagnosed with cataracts in both eyes and referred to a partner hospital for surgery. He received his treatment free of charge and can now see clearly again. Komol is now a patient turned advocate. By handing out flyers and personally bringing people to the vision center, Komol is mobilizing the community to promote healthy sight. Many of the people he brings receive free surgery, medicine, and glasses, all thanks to our supporters!

Flying Eye Hospital flight mechanic Phil Kliewer discusses the process of converting an MD-10 from a passenger aircraft into a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital.

See below for a review of week one of our Mongolia 2024 Flying Eye Hospital project! In week one, eye care teams honed their surgical skills using simulation and virtual reality technology, so patients can get the best care available. Thank you to our supporters for ensuring doctors around the world access best-in-class training. Stay tuned for our week two report coming soon. https://lnkd.in/eBPkiemN

An ophthalmic training project dedicated to helping treat strabismus, a major cause of childhood blindness and vision loss in children, has successfully wrapped up at an Orbis partner hospital in Hawassa, Ethiopia. A big thank you to the Orbis community for helping provide world class ophthalmic training to local teams in Ethiopia. Thanks to you, countless children can now see a brighter future. Read more here: https://lnkd.in/e86T27Hn

"I get a lump in my throat when I see the plane land." Jacqueline Newton, our Flying Eye Hospital staff nurse, from South Africa, explains her role and what happens ahead of an Orbis #FlyingEyeHospital training project.