Blindness Prevention

[Ms. Kathy]

At this link is a very interesting video concerning retinal implants!
publish.vx.roo.com/g6publish/common/playlist/asxgeneratorportal.aspx?siteId=4626331d-44b7-43dd-ab13-a71bdf41006d&clipId=877118&channel=People%20and%20Culture&Bitrate=300&ads=&rowCount=1

[Ms. Kathy]

Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing is Believing Charity programme aims to raise $2.5 million with world first blind adventure pilot
3/7/2007
Blind adventurer, Miles Hilton-Barber, will become the first blind pilot to fly half way across the world aiming to raise $2.5 million (£1 million) towards the prevention of blindness in developing countries. The British aviator will depart from London on March 5th and travel over 20,000km in a 55-day flight, to Sydney.

The mission is part of Standard Chartered Bank’s charity, Seeing is Believing, which is seeking to help Vision 20:20 eradicate preventable blindness. Currently preventable blindness affects 75% of the 37 million blind people worldwide, 90% of which live in the developing world.

In this world record attempt, Miles will be relying on revolutionary speech-output from his navigation instruments to steer his course. He will be directing the Microlight, a small hang glider-like aircraft, from a wireless keyboard, to type in flight plan coordinates and notes, which will be strapped to his leg throughout the flight.

Despite being blind for over 25 years, Miles has still lived his dreams, encouraging and inspiring people across the globe through his adventures, to realise that "The only limits in our lives are those we accept ourselves."

With the assistance of his sighted co-pilot Storm Smith, a support crew and Standard Charter Bank, Hilton-Barber is hoping to arrive in Sydney on April 28th. To track his journey, Miles will have 3 video cameras attached to the microlight, and will compile a video diary along the way.

No stranger to such adventures, Hilton-Barber has previously embarked on many dangerous exploits. In 1999 he completed the “Toughest Foot-race on earth”- 250km across the Sahara Dessert, before contesting the ‘Coldest Marathon on Earth’- the Siberian Ice Marathon. Furthermore he has summated Mt Kilimanjaro and Mt Blanc, Africa and Europe’s highest mountains as well as setting the Malaysian Grand Prix lap record for a blind driver, in a 200kph Lotus.

Miles is renowned for his inspiration and spends much of his time involved in motivational speaking. “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away”, said Miles.

Standard Chartered Bank’s Group Finance Director, Richard Meddings said “Miles embodies Standard Chartered’s values and his courage and optimism are truly inspiring. Standard Chartered is delighted that Miles and Storm are raising funds for Seeing is Believing on their microlight adventure. Their efforts will help us in our quest to help millions of people around the globe in the fight against avoidable blindness”.

Miles television documentaries, of his Kilimanjaro and Sahara experiences have won multiple Film Festival awards, as well as being the encouragement for several television and radio shows. Miles is currently writing a motivational adventure book recounting his recent experiences and sharing his perspectives on life.

If you would like to support Miles in their mission to help the millions of blind people across the world through offering a donation, then please go to www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk/microlightadventure. For every US Dollar donated, Standard Chartered Bank will match the donation, up to a maximum of USD 5 million.

To keep in touch with Miles and Storm you can logon to their website at www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk/microlightadventure, which will be updated regularly and will include pictures and blogs from Miles and Storm about their adventures.

Source Link: www.etravelblackboard.com/printerfriendly.asp?id=62202

[Ms. Kathy]

Lions have their sights set on eliminating blindness
By Nancy Mace The Record Herald


Mike Toms is chairman of the SightFirst campaign for the Waynesboro Lions Club.
It's easy to see why a Lions Club International program that battles preventable blindness has been so successful.

Lions clubs across the country, and in our backyard, including the Waynesboro chapter, have been doing their part to promote and support SightFirst.

The program has restored sight to 4.6 million people and improved eye care services for hundreds of millions since it was launched in 1990.

The Waynesboro club already has met its pledge of $1,000 for this year since it kicked off the effort in October, according to Mike Toms, chairman of the SightFirst committee.

“And we've received two-thirds of the money that was pledged,” added Toms, who said the club hopes to collect a total of $3,000 during the three-year campaign.

“One of the objectives of Lions Club is to help save sight, and this kind of project goes to the very core of being a Lion,” Toms said. “Our club was only too happy to participate.”

Fund-raising efforts

Most of the money will be raised through members' pledges, according to Toms.



“We're also opening it up to the public,” he said. Every $6 in donations restores vision to someone or saves a person from blindness.

The club first displayed the white cane receptacle designated for contributions at its model train show, an annual event held last November in the Mont Alto Fire Hall.

Visitors to the club's train display in the former Beck and Benedict store during December's Yuletide in Waynesboro also helped with the effort, according to Toms.

Donations were accepted at the Lions' recent pancake and sausage breakfast, held in conjunction with the Greater Waynesboro of Chamber Business Expo.

The club also had a display board about SightFirst at Saturday's Waynesboro Health Fair and will be at Market Days in downtown Waynesboro on Oct. 6.

SightFirst's efforts

Through SightFirst, Lions have prevented blindness by supporting cataract surgeries, built or expanded 258 eye hospitals, clinics or wards, and upgraded 300 others with equipment. The campaign also has provided education in eye health care to more than 68,000 people.

Those investments will ensure the campaign's success for years to come, Toms added.

SightFirst, in partnership with the World Health Organization, has launched the world's first-ever global initiative to combat childhood blindness. The project is creating centers for pediatric eye care around the world.

SightFirst's efforts against river blindness have been particularly impressive, according to Toms. River blindness is caused by a worm that breeds in fast-flowing rivers and is the major cause of blindness in western and central Africa.

Since the distribution of 65 million treatments of Mectizan, donated by Merck, virtually no new cases of river blindness are being reported in areas with widespread treatment coverage - and the disease could be eliminated by 2010.

Working with SightFirst were the national ministries of health and the Carter Center, started in 1982 by president Jimmy Carter, a spokesman for the campaign, and his wife, Rosalynn Carter.

“Until these sight problems are contained, they'll come back if we don't keep after them,” Toms said.

For more information or to make a donation, call Toms at 762-7570.

Link Source: www.therecordherald.com/articles/2007/03/12/local_news/news02.txt

[Ms. Kathy]

Source: University of Florida Health Science Center
Date: March 15, 2007

Gene Therapy For Blindness Clears Hurdle In Mice
Source Link:http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/03/070314155215.htm

Science Daily — University of Florida researchers have used an experimental therapy in mice to shut down a gene that plays a crucial role in a leading cause of inherited blindness.

The technique, detailed in an upcoming issue of Vision Research, involves injecting the eye with a bit of genetic material called interfering RNA, which helps disable the gene.

Normally the gene is essential for healthy eyesight, but mutated versions of it are passed from generation to generation in some families and can lead to blindness.

Disabling the gene is a step toward developing a gene therapy to treat people with retinitis pigmentosa, an inherited disease that attacks the light-sensing cells in the eye. It affects about one in 60,000 people, with an estimated 1.5 million people afflicted worldwide.

"One of the causes of the disease is mutated gene expression," said Marina Gorbatyuk, Ph.D., an assistant professor of molecular genetics and microbiology in the UF College of Medicine. "We work with rhodopsin, which is the main retinal protein. Without it, or if it is mutated, people simply won't see."

Mutated forms of the rhodopsin produce a toxic protein in the retina that kills cells that receive light. People with the disease usually notice symptoms between the ages of 10 and 30. At first they have problems seeing in dimly lit places, followed by loss of their peripheral sight. The rate of progression varies, but most patients are blind by 40.

UF Genetics Institute researchers engineered the interfering RNA into a virus, which in turn was injected below the retinas in more than a dozen normal mice. Analysis showed the technique reduced the amount of rhodopsin by about 60 percent.

With the gene drastically muzzled, scientists have begun experiments to create a therapy in which healthy versions of the gene can be introduced into the eye using an apparently harmless virus to deliver the genetic material.

"If we reduce the amount of protein formed by mutated rhodopsin, that may be sufficient to maintain vision in people who are affected by retinitis pigmentosa," Gorbatyuk said. "The second step, introducing the normal gene to the retina, will show whether we are able to restore vision in this model or not."

If both steps are perfected, scientists plan to study the treatment in a larger animal model and then possibly move to a human clinical trial.

Note: This story has been adapted from a news release issued by University of Florida Health Science Center.

[Ms. Kathy]

Blindness fears halt sale of colour lenses
MICHAEL OWEN, POLITICAL REPORTER
Source Link:http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,21486449-2682,00.html
April 02, 2007 02:15am

COSMETIC contact lenses - used mainly by young people to change their eye colour or appearance - have been banned from general sale.

Under new laws passed by State Parliament, the novelty contact lenses will only be available for sale by prescription from an optometrist or doctor.
The decision to restrict sale of the "plano" cosmetic lenses comes amid fears they will cause blindness or serious eye infections, Health Minister John Hill said yesterday.

A range of the lenses, including the popular "cat's eyes", were on sale yesterday at the Wacky Shack novelty shop in the Myer Centre Adelaide.

Mr Hill said the Optometry Practice Bill 2006, which passed through Parliament last week, ensured greater safety standards for users.

"At the moment these lenses, which some young people use to enhance or change eye colour, or to create an impression of cats eyes or vampire eyes, are sold through retail outlets, including shows, markets and even food stores, with no restrictions," he said.

He said a teenage girl in NSW had permanently lost vision in one eye after borrowing a pair of lenses from a friend, while a 24-year-old New Zealand man also lost vision in an eye.

"There have also been reports of serious eye infections caused by use of these lenses," Mr Hill said.

"These lenses don't enhance vision - but they can affect the physiology of the eye because they are sitting on the eye.

"It just makes sense that they are regulated, with optometrist prescription meaning they can be properly fitted and checked to ensure there are no problems and that they are being inserted properly."

Mr Hill said the laws should come into force within the next few months.

Olivia Banks and Georgia Bishop-Dunne try out the latest novelty contact lenses which will be available only from an optomotrist in the future.

[Ms. Kathy]

Miles, and a dream to fly for
Source Link: cities.expressindia.com/fullstory.php?newsid=229429

When his sight betrayed him, Miles Hilton-Barber did not resign and let darkness dictate his life. A prominent microlight aviator today, he has embarked on a journey across half the world to prevent blindness from taking over the lives of hundreds like him

Suchetana Haldar

Kolkata, March 29: Meet Miles Hilton-Barber. It seems life for him has come a full circle since the day four decades ago when his childhood dream of being a fighter pilot was put to rest for his poor eyesight. Ironically, at 58, Hilton-Barber is a top microlight aviator today. Only he is completely sightless now.

This time Hilton-Barber has embarked on a noble mission. Come April, he will be the first blind aviator to fly across half the world, over Europe, the Mediterranean and the Middle East, via Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Malaysia halting at Singapore. With this he hopes to raise funds to the tune of one million dollars to combat preventable blindness in 20 developing countries in the world - a cause as close to his heart as his passion for flying.



Miles uses a speech-output technology to accomplish this 13,500 mile flight from London to Sydney. By this technology, he gets all flight related data relayed to him on his head phones from the Air Traffic Controllers on ground.To control on flight operations, he has at his disposal a box with 16 switches capable of performing 32 operations. He was accompanied on his trip by co-pilots Brian Milton who flew with him from London to Cyprus and Richard Meredith-Hardy who joined him from Cyprus. The aircraft is a British-built 100 HP flexwing Pegasus Mainair GT 450, capable of cruising at 70 miles per hour.

The Microlight Team hopes to undertake upto two flights a day to reach Sydney on April 25 thereby completing the trip in 55 days.

“Blindness is a challenge for me,” says the indomitable aviator. “Its a joy of realising that I am not allowing blindness to control my life,” he says when asked to speak on his flying experience.

Hilton-Barber lost his eyesight completely 25 years ago. But that did not deter him from qualifying the aviation course and scale new heights in aviation. He holds the British record for high altitude in microlight aviation ascending to 20,300 feet with open-thingypit temperatures plummeting to minus 55 degrees.

Flying at such dizzy heights is a challenge. “A microlight weighs about one eighth of the weight of a jumbo jet. So you can well imagine the turbulence at heights which is almost 800 times of that faced by jumbo jets,” he recalls with a laugh.

But perhaps the greatest influence in his life has been his brother who is also sightless. Eight years ago, his brother Geoffrey had embarked upon a daring voyage from Durban in South Africa to Australia on his yatch with the help of speech-output technology which spurred him to explore the skies.

Hilton-Barber’s daring escapades is not limited to his pet domain - the sky above. He has explored diverse terrains from hauling a sledge over 250 miles across Antarctica, crossing the Qatar desert in 78 hours at a stretch or climbing Mount Kilimanjaro-Africa’s highest mountain with his brother Geoffrey.

[Ms. Kathy]

Rs 250 mln being spent for prevention of blindness:CM
Source Link:http://www.app.com.pk/en/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6968&Itemid=2
Written by pub
Friday, 30 March 2007
LAHORE, March 29 (APP)- Punjab Chief Minister, Ch.Pervaiz Elahi has said that government has made comprehensive planning for prevention of the cases of blindness and provision of proper treatment facilities for eye diseases so that modern health facilities could be made available to the citizens at their doorstep.

Development projects worth Rs 250 million are being implemented for the prevention of blindness, he added.


He was presiding over a high level meeting regarding future requirements for prevention of eye diseases at Chief Minister's Secretariat, here Thursday, accoridng to a hadnout. Chief Secretary Punjab Salman Siddique, Chairman Planning & Development Suleman Ghani, Secretary Health Raees Abbas Zaidi, Secretary Finance Sohail Ahmad, Vice Chancellor King Edward Medical College University Dr. Mumtaz Hassan and Director General Punjab Institute of Preventive Ophthalmology Dr. Asad Aslam besides other senior officers were present.


The Chief Minister said that Punjab Institute of Preventive Ophthalmology has been completed at Mayo Hospital within a record period of six months and now it has been decided to upgrade this institute as College of Preventive Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences Pakistan. He said that besides eye specialist, graduate and postgraduate classes as well as degree courses for paramedical staff and health personnel will be started in the institute.


He said that Punjab Eye Bank will also be established so as to make proper arrangements for the storage of cornea from abroad as well as its provision to the patients.


Ch.Pervaiz Elahi further said that the aforementioned college will be affiliated with King Edward Medical College University and admission quota of students from foreign countries, Azad Kashmir, Northern Areas as well as other provinces will also be reserved.

He said that quota of admission of students from
Balochistan has been doubled in the college.

He said that seminars will be arranged to motivate the people to donate cornea so that maximum number of blind people could be benefited. He said that for the purpose of prevention of blindness and treatment of eye diseases, a number of projects have been initiated including increase in the budget of the college, construction of two new floors, research grant, recruitment of staff, transport facilities and establishment of directorate. He said that these projects will facilitate treatment of cataract,
SICS, trachoma, shortsightedness and eye diseases among children.


Ch.Pervaiz Elahi further said that a survey is being conducted in the province to ascertain the causes of eye diseases so that preventive measures could be adopted. He said that under this programme, eye tests of 50,000 children are being conducted for obtaining information about blind children. He said that a campaign is also being launched to promote awareness about precautionary measures against eye diseases.


The meeting was informed that there are about 900,000 blind persons in the province while equal number of people are suffering from shortsightedness.


The Chief Minister said that instead of temporary eye camps, treatment facilities on permanent basis have been provided in the province. He said that eye units in 26 district headquarter hospitals have been upgraded and eye glasses are being provided to poor people and school children free of cost by optical laboratory.


He said that primary secondary complexes have been set up at district level and 778 technical vacancies are being filled. Besides, operation theatre facility and other equipment is also being made available.


He said that shortage of technical staff at tehsil headquarters hospitals is being made up and diagnostic and treatment facilities for eye diseases are also being provided.

The Chief Minister said that Rs 29 million are being spent for prevention of trachoma in 29 villages of Punjab and free of cost treatment facilities of shortsightedness are being provided.

[Ms. Kathy]

Source: Tampa Bay Business Journal - April 16, 2007
tampabay.bizjournals.com/tampabay/stories/2007/04/16/daily3.html

FDA advances Sirion drug
Tampa Bay Business Journal - 11:40 AM EDT Monday, April 16, 2007
The Food and Drug Administration has granted orphan drug designation to ganciclovir, a drug designed to treat a leading cause of blindness. The drug is licensed to Sirion Therapeutics Inc.

Orphan drug designation is a special status for diseases or conditions affecting fewer than 200,000 patients in the United States that can be granted by FDA upon request of the sponsor. Drugs that receive orphan drug designation obtain seven years of marketing exclusivity from the date of drug approval, as well as tax credits for clinical trail costs, waiver of marketing application filing fees and assistance from the FDA in the drug development process.

Ganciclovir is an anti-viral therapy for the treatment of acute herpetic keratitis, Sirion said in a release. The condition is a leading cause of corneal blindness in the United States, affecting nearly 50,000 people annually, the release said.

Topical ganciclovir has been available to treat ocular viral infections for more than 10 years in Europe, where it is marketed by Laboratoires Thea under the brand name of Virgan. Sirion licensed the rights to Virgan for the U.S. from Laboratoires Thea in January 2007.

Sirion, based in Tampa, is an ophthalmic biopharmaceutical company that recently received $45 million in funding from several new investors.

[Ms. Kathy]

Plan to reduce incidence of blindness
Nadira Gunatilleke

COLOMBO: The Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry and International Sightsavers Organisation will launch a joint programme to reduce blindness in Sri Lanka by 2020, a Healthcare and Nutrition Ministry spokesman said.

He said that a regional primary eye care workshop will be held from 18 to 20 April at the Taj Samudra Hotel, Colombo with the participation of eye care professionals from across the world.

The workshop will be inaugurated by Healthcare and Nutrition Minister Nimal Siripala De Silva while the Chief Executive, Sightsavers International, Dr.Caroline Harper will be the guest of honour.

Delegates from Africa, Bangladesh, Brazil, Caribbean Islands, India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom will take part in this workshop. Participants from many State and non Governmental Organisations will also take part in it.

During the workshop participants will identify global practices as well as the current practices for primary eye care and primary health care in aforementioned countries.

Globally, there are 37 million people who are blind and 90 per cent of blindness occurs in the developing countries. There are 2.5 million people living with blindness in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.

Sightsavers has been working with local partners for over 50 years in the region to cure and prevent avoidable blindness, whilst simultaneously ensuring the social inclusion of those who are permanently blind.
Source Link: Sri Lanka News | Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse Newspapers www.dailynews.lk/2007/04/18/news23.asp

[Ms. Kathy]

Carl Zeiss Meditec Joins Forces with Ilmenau University to Combat Blindness


4/17/2007 9:16:37 AM

Joint research into new diagnostic techniques offers benefits to both patients and doctors


In most eye diseases, early, precise diagnosis is the best way to prevent serious visual impairments up to and including blindness. The multimodal combination of different diagnostic techniques, allowing the timely and targeted treatment of eye disorders, is the focus of a research project jointly launched by Carl Zeiss Meditec AG and Ilmenau University in Germany, together with the “Ophthalmoinnovation Thüringen” research federation and other firms in the ophthalmic sector.


The planned integration of individual diagnostic methods provides a much more exact, detailed and complete diagnosis. Patient therapy improves due to the integration of aids to help the doctor decide on the correct therapy. Duplicate examinations are avoided. In addition, integrated diagnosis means that the doctor no longer needs to cope with floods of data, therefore helping to increase efficiency in health care.


“Particularly in the case of such widespread diseases as diabetes, the approach we are taking in our project could help prevent blindness in many people," says Prof. Dr. Jens Haueisen from Ilmenau University. In Germany alone, roughly 30,000 people have lost their sight through diabetes – and the trend is increasing. By avoiding unnecessary examinations, many millions of dollars could be saved in the German health care system.


In the 5-year project sponsored by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), three examination methods will be combined: microcirculation, electro and metabolic diagnosis. Eight research scientists will be working on the project at Ilmenau University. Close collaboration with the development division of Carl Zeiss Meditec has recently begun.


Related Links
Source:
www.zeiss.de/C1256A770030BCE0/WebViewTopNewsAllE/38638EC7179C6323C12572BC00346D7F?OpenDocument


Source Link: WebWire® | www.webwire.com

[Ms. Kathy]

Economic Impact of Vision Loss in the United States Estimated at $51.4 Billion

New Report Highlights Increasing Burden of Vision Problems on Americans

CHICAGO, April 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Prevent Blindness America today
released a new report estimating the costs associated with adult vision
problems in the United States at $51.4 billion. The Economic Impact of
Vision Problems: The Toll of Major Adult Eye Disorders, Visual Impairment,
and Blindness on the U.S. Economy provides both the costs to the individual
and their caregivers, and the impact on the U.S. economy of vision
conditions including age-related macular degeneration (AMD), cataract,
diabetic retinopathy, primary open-angle glaucoma, refractive error, visual
impairment and blindness.
This report marks Phase III of a concerted effort by Prevent Blindness
America to address the critical need for better eye health and to ensure
that sufficient governmental resources are dedicated to the research,
treatment and prevention of eye-related diseases. In 2002, Prevent
Blindness America released the "Vision Problems in the U.S." (VPUS) study
detailing eye disease prevalence data on a national and state level.
Following that report, the organization announced the "Vision Problems
Action Plan" to effectively address the VPUS results. The Economic Impact
of Vision Problems: The Toll of Major Adult Eye Disorders, Visual
Impairment, and Blindness on the U.S. Economy brings to light the
substantial effect vision problems have beyond physical and emotional
implications by analyzing the considerable financial impact vision loss has
on the individual, caregivers, the government and insurance premiums.
"These astounding numbers underscore the significant need to address
the overall impact of vision problems on individuals, their families and
our society," said Daniel D. Garrett, senior vice president of Prevent
Blindness America. "The goal of this report is to ensure our nation's
leaders understand the seriousness of America's eye health and create a
call-to-action to focus on treatment and prevention."
The full results are being announced today at a national vision
symposium that brings together leading ophthalmic researchers and report
authors, public health officials, advocacy organizations, caregivers and
patients to discuss the important findings from the study.
Two groups of health economists collaborated to produce the
comprehensive report. A team led by David Rein, Ph.D., of RTI International
and the CDC researched the costs to the U.S. economy and determined the
impact to be $35.4 billion. Kevin Frick, Ph.D., of Johns Hopkins Bloomberg
School of Public Health and his team estimated the financial impact to the
individual, caregivers and others at $16 billion. The total financial
impact is $51.4 billion, which exceeds the total combined profits of the
top two 2006 Fortune 500 companies, Exxon Mobil and Wal-Mart Stores.
"As the baby boomer generation is aging, my research shows that the
number of people in the United States with impaired vision -- including
blindness -- could increase by at least 60 percent over the next three
decades," said Dr. Frick. "It is a troubling reality that an increasing
number of Americans are going to be faced with escalating costs due to
vision loss unless we focus on prevention."
Impact to the U.S. economy was determined through analysis of direct
medical costs, other direct costs, such as nursing home care and government
programs, and lost productivity. Costs to the individual include medical
care expenditures, informal care costs and health utility loss. Health
utility loss refers to an evaluation of the quality of life in chronic
medical conditions.
About Prevent Blindness America
Founded in 1908, Prevent Blindness America is the nation's leading
volunteer eye health and safety organization dedicated to fighting
blindness and saving sight. Focused on promoting a continuum of vision
care, Prevent Blindness America touches the lives of millions of people
each year through public and professional education, advocacy, certified
vision screening and training, community and patient service programs and
research. These services are made possible through the generous support of
the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, divisions and
chapters, it's committed to eliminating preventable blindness in America.
For more information, or to make a contribution to the sight-saving fund,
call 1-800-331-2020 or visit us on the Web at
www.preventblindness.org.



SOURCE Prevent Blindness America
Source Link: www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/04-18-2007/0004568091&EDATE=

[Ms. Kathy]

Jennifer Staple on how to prevent blindness and graduate from med school at the same time
Sam Whiting

Sunday, April 22, 2007


A week ago, Jennifer Staple, 25, was presiding over the Unite for Sight International Health Conference at Stanford University. Now she's back to being a second-year medical student, while running Unite for Sight off her laptop.

On Unite for Sight

The goal of the program is to eliminate preventable blindness throughout the world, and create eye-disease-free communities. I started it the summer of 2000, when I was a student at Yale University, between freshman and sophomore years.

On the lightbulb moment

I had worked in an eye doctor's office. After hearing stories from people saying they wished they'd been to an eye doctor before they lost their sight to glaucoma, I thought, "There has to be some way of educating people."

On glaucoma

It is high pressure in the eye. The pressure is on the optic nerve. Medicated eyedrops usually keep it in check. With eye care, 80 percent of all blindness could be prevented or cured. That comes to about 36 million people in the world who are blind and don't need to be.On taking action

I recruited about 35 students during the first year of providing vision screenings and matching people with free health-coverage programs so they could see an eye doctor for free if they did not have health insurance.

On going international

I graduated in May of 2003, and started recruiting students to establish new chapters of Unite for

Sight. From there people started contacting me from Africa and Asia, saying they were very interested in having eye care for their communities. That's how it became international. Within a few months after graduating, there were 25 additional chapters.

On the name

It just popped into my head.

On the program

We have 4,000 volunteers. We go into the communities -- soup kitchens, homeless shelters, schools, libraries. That's what continues in North America. Internationally, we partner with existing eye clinics and provide staffing, support volunteers and funding in order to reach out to village people. Within a few hours they can screen about 200 people.

On the reach

Unite for Sight globally has helped 400,000 people through the eye-care service and about 6,000 through cataract surgeries, which is sight-restoring surgery.

On the international conference

It started four years ago when we brought in speakers specifically about eye care. Since then, we expanded it to AIDS, malaria, many different international health developments. This is the first one on the West Coast. We have a lot of people coming from Africa, a lot from Asia, Europe. They all coordinate their own travel and accommodations.

On Unite for Sight getting her into medical school

I got in before I really did much. I deferred for one year, anticipating to expand it just within the U.S. It took off internationally so quickly that I needed a second year to get everything in place before I started medical school.

On having everything in place

We have an administrator in Connecticut doing all the banking and filing. I get paid now because I would normally be a TA or doing some type of research.

On budget

The last fiscal year we had $350,000 in contributions -- $500,000 when you include in-kind donations.

On budgeting her time

I work on Unite for Sight as soon as I wake up. Then I go to classes and study. In the evenings, I work on Unite for Sight again. I get by with about six hours sleep a night. I can't function without sleep. I would if I could.

On lifestyle

I live in a studio apartment in one of the dorms. Right now it's filled with boxes of materials for the conference. It's not walkable.

E-mail Sam Whiting at [e-mail].

sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/04/22/CMGRJN7UM91.DTL

This article appeared on page CM - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Chronicle

[Ms. Kathy]

Tuesday Apr 24, 2007 Headline News
WVU Eye Institute receives grant
By Heather Bonecutter
Staff Writer
Source Link: www.da.wvu.edu/XMLParser/printstory.phtml?id=27679

The West Virginia University Eye Institute has been awarded a $1.65 million grant from the National Eye Institute to facilitate research in childhood blindness.

Internationally, over 1 million children under the age of 15 are affected by childhood blindness.

This five-year grant will allow researchers such as Dr. Visvanathan Ramamurthy and his colleagues to study the genetic factors that lead to childhood blindness.

''This is something that they've been shooting for for a long time,'' said Dr. Peter Mathers, associate professor of opthamology.
Receiving a grant of this sort is a validation for the researchers at the Eye Institute and will ideally lead to other grants that will allow researchers to move forward, Mathers said.

The NEI grant will provide funding over the course of five years and can possibly be renewed when that time period ends.
Grants of this type can last for 35 to 40 years, depending on the progress of the project, Mathers said.

Ramamurthy and other researchers are looking at a mouse model to examine childhood blindness and find causes and possible treatments for Leber's congenital amaurosis, one of the most common diseases leading to childhood blindness.

Leber's congenital amaurosis is a recessive disease that affects children internationally. If a cure or treatment could be found here, it would lead to an improvement internationally, Ramamurthy said.

If genetic links are found while studying the mouse model, researchers can begin to develop possible genetic therapies.
These could be used to treat children with blindness and create steps to prevent severe blindness from occurring.

''It will give something that will continue the quality of life,'' Ramamurthy said.

This is the first grant to be given to the new Eye Institute research facility and can lead to additional grants in the future through successful research.

''This is the beginning of good things to come for the Eye Institute,'' Ramamurthy said. ''It's a good sign for us that we can get an NEI grant here.''

Ramamurthy recently transferred to WVU from Seattle and said that he was surprised by the opportunities offered by WVU.
''I didn't know what to expect from WVU,'' Ramamurthy said. ''I just want to thank the people who support my research.''
[e-mail]

[Ms. Kathy]

April 23, 2007
Glicks' generosity to IU will give gift of sight
Source Link: IndyStar www.indystar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070423/OPINION01/704230321/-1/ZONES04


For more than 25 years, Eugene and Marilyn Glick have quietly worked to advance the sight-saving mission of Prevent Blindness Indiana. Their generous donation to Indiana University School of Medicine to establish the Eugene and Marilyn Glick Eye Institute does make them visionaries in the truest sense of the word.


When Mrs. Glick became interested in vision concerns and began volunteering with Prevent Blindness Indiana, she recognized the need for an auxiliary group to provide additional volunteer and financial support for the organization's mission to prevent blindness and preserve sight for all Hoosiers. In 1981, she organized a group of community leaders whom she called People of Vision. Over the last 25 years, this circle of friends and interested members has grown to nearly 600 members and provided thousands of dollars in support to Prevent Blindness Indiana. They have provided vision screenings in the Indianapolis Public School system; helped with office mailings and served on boards and committees.

Half of all blindness is preventable, and early detection and proper treatment can be the difference between continued sight for life or an early world of darkness. We are fortunate to share in the Glicks' generosity.
Patricia Szuch
President and CEO
Prevent Blindness Indiana
Indianapolis

[Ms. Kathy]

400,000 Ugandans Are Blind - Nduhura

New Vision (Kampala)
NEWS
April 24, 2007
Posted to the web April 25, 2007

By Halima Shaban
Kampala

IT is estimated that between 280,000 and 400,000 people in Uganda are blind and over one million, visually impaired, the state minister for health, Richard Nduhura has revealed.

While launching the third National Strategic plan for prevention of blindness at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Wandegeya recently, Nduhura noted that the commonest causes of blindness worldwide are cataracts, which accounts for 50-60% of blindness, followed by corneal diseases, especially trachoma (20-30%) and glaucoma (10-20%).

"Worldwide there are 45m blind people and a further of 135m suffer from serious visual impairment and unless cost effective interventions are taken, these numbers are more likely to double by the year 2020." Nduhura said.

He said in Uganda, visual impairment is a leading cause of disability and though not usually fatal, disabilities reduce the quality of life. The plan is expected to contribute to increasing the chances of attracting adequate funds and other resources into eye care services. It also aims at increasing awareness and sensitisation of stakeholders about the need to give eye care high priority and consideration when allocating resources, and improve distribution of services in the country.

Nduhuura said eye diseases are among the first ten causes of morbidity, mortality and disability in Uganda.

The commissioner for health services, Sam Okware, said: " Early detection and appropriate treatment will stop these impairments from further progression to disability. The sooner they are detected, the earlier they can be stopped, hence the need for appropriate health infrastructure, equipment and trained manpower."

Nduhura noted that by the year 2020, no one will need be blind, adding that 80% of causes of blindness can be prevented.


Source Link: allAfrica.com allafrica.com/stories/printable/200704250230.html