New Directions in the Sight First Program Lions

New Directions in the Sight. First Program, Lions Clubs International Foundation Linda Romano-Derr Regional Program Specialist, South Asia September 17, 2012

Lions Clubs International (LCI) and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) • World’s largest voluntary service organization o 1. 35 million members worldwide, in 46, 000 clubs in 207 countries • Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) o Humanitarian arm of LCI o Established in 1968 o Primary service aims: • Humanitarian Services • Blindness prevention • Disaster relief and reconstruction • Children’s health and welfare

Sight. First • Sight. First is a global initiative with the purpose of eliminating avoidable blindness as a global public health concern • Mission: To build comprehensive eye care systems to fight the major causes of blindness and care for people who are blind or visually impaired • Sight. First builds on Lions’ historical concern for the blind and visually impaired (Knights of the Blind) • 1, 064 grants in 102 countries for a total of US$277 million since 1990

Sight. First Accomplishments • Restored sight to 7. 68 million people through cataract surgeries • 30 million people saved from vision loss • Provided 147 million treatments for river blindness • Built or upgraded 702 eye-care facilities • Trained 659, 000 ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses, other professional eye care workers and village health workers • Established 35 pediatric eye care centers, impacting the lives of 121 million children (in partnership with the WHO)

Sight. First Approach • Controlling blinding diseases • Cataract • River blindness, • Trachoma • Diabetic retinopathy • Training desperately needed human resources • Strengthening eye care infrastructure

Sight. First II: A new direction 3 overarching goals: 1. Control and eliminate major causes of avoidable blindness 2. Combat emerging threats to sight 3. Provide “Vision for All” through research, rehabilitation, and outreach to vulnerable populations VISION FOR ALL

Sight. First I versus Sight. First II SF I: SF II: • Less complex projects, with one or two activities • Large-scale projects reaching a larger target population • Local situation considered in the development of a project, but little knowledge of the eye care priorities of the country or region • Complex and comprehensive projects that include aspects of both prevention and treatment • A well-developed support system in place at the district and regional levels to teach and aid clubs in the development of projects • Projects consistently developed in partnership with the MOH and within the framework of the national plan; extensive and successful partnerships with many of the leading blindness prevention experts worldwide • • Often weak engagement of the Ministry of Health and the national plan for the prevention of blindness Little collaboration with other partners working in blindness prevention We Care. We Serve. We Accomplish.

Key Principles 1. Develop comprehensive eye care systems 2. Target underserved populations 3. Deliver high-quality eye care services 4. Create sustainable eye care services 5. Use data to identify and evaluate efforts 6. Hands-on Lions involvement 7. Emphasis on strategic partnerships with corporations, governments and NGOs.

Sight. First Grants: 11 strategies & 5 objectives § Cataract § Childhood Blindness § Trachoma § Education & Rehabilitation for Blind & Low vision Persons § Eye Health Education § Low Vision § URE § Comprehensive Regional Training § Diabetic Retinopathy § River Blindness § Research We Care. We Serve. We Accomplish. Sight. First portfolio

Sight. First Grants: 11 strategies & 5 objectives § Cataract § Childhood Blindness § Service Delivery § Trachoma § Education & Rehabilitation for Blind & Low vision Persons § Eye Health Education § Low Vision § Human Resource Development § Infrastructure Development § URE § Comprehensive Regional Training § Prevention § Diabetic Retinopathy § River Blindness § Monitoring & Evaluation § Research We Care. We Serve. We Accomplish. Objectives

Sight. First Grants: 11 strategies & 5 objectives § Cataract üDetection § Service Delivery § Childhood Blindness üTreatment § Trachoma üRehabilitation § Education & Rehabilitation for Blind & Low vision Persons § Human Resource Development üEye Care Professionals üCommunity Health Workers § Eye Health Education § Low Vision üSurvey § Infrastructure Development üSchool Teachers üEquipment § URE § Comprehensive Regional Training § Prevention üAdvocacy § Diabetic Retinopathy § River Blindness § Research üExpansion üPublic Relations § Monitoring & Evaluation We Care. We Serve. We Accomplish. üEducation Materials

§ Getting involved in into new focus areas: § Research § Education and training for blind/VI § Outreach to vulnerable populations*

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