Preventing Childhood Blindness in Armenia

On September 22, the Center of Excellence for Prevention of Childhood Blindness (CEPCB) opened in Yerevan in the newly constructed building of the Republic Institute of Reproductive Health, Perinatology, Obstetrics and Gynecology. The project was a major milestone for USAID and the Armenian Eyecare Project.  

As reported by the Ministry of Health’s press service, the purpose of the new center is to establish and develop the potential for a specialized ophthalmology to prevent childhood blindness in Armenia and the surrounding regions.

Deputy Health Minister, Vahan Poghosyan, reported that 10% of newborns in Armenia are premature which increases the risk of blindness. According to the Minister, the center will use innovative technology and modern equipment to improve the quality of care for newborns, and is one of the best examples of cooperation between doctors from Armenia and the Diaspora.

Head of the Ophthalmologic Center at the Children’s Hospital in L.A, Thomas Lee, said that the center is so advanced that even clinics in the US cannot boast about such a place. Because the center is connected to an online portal, specialists from around the world can monitor operations and offer advice, reports arka.am.

The Center opened on the first day of the 13th International Conference on Ophthalmology by the USAID, the Armenian Eyecare Project, and the Ministry of Health. The two-day conference brought together renowned experts from various fields of ophthalmology from Armenia, the US, Europe, and the Commonwealth of Independent States.

Read this story in Armenian.