PRESS RELEASE
October 12, 2006
American University of Armenia Corporation
300 Lakeside Drive
Oakland, CA 94612
Tel: 510-987-9125
Fax: 510-208-3576
Contact: Maggie Mead
E-mail: maggie@auac.net
World Sight Day 2006 celebration in Yerevan
Yerevan, Armenia (12.10.2006) – Established in 1999, the Garo Meghrigian Eye
Institute for Preventive Ophthalmology (GMEIPO), located at the Center for
Health Service Research and Development of the American University of
Armenia, aims to eliminate avoidable blindness in Armenia. The GMEPO team
joined the worldwide advocacy campaign and celebration of World Sight Day in
Armenia on October 12. The celebrations occurred at the Boarding School for
Visually Impaired Children in Yerevan (BSVIC), the only educational facility
of its type in Armenia.
The theme of this year’s World Sight Day (WSD) was Low Vision and Refractive
Error, highlighting the fact that millions are functionally blind due to
uncorrected refractive error. While most of these cases cannot be prevented
or cured medically, much can be done to improve patients’ quality of life
and prevent effective blindness.
According to Naira Khachatryan (Lecturer of Preventive Ophthalmology,
College of Health Sciences, AUA), "On the 11th and 12th of October, 2006,
GMEIPO organized detailed eye screening of 108 students of BSVIC. All
children in need were provided with prescribed eyeglasses of high quality,
as well as with recommendations for further treatment/rehabilitation. We
also donated 500 writing books for blind children to support the teaching
process at the School. In order to improve preventive/regular eye care, our
team donated equipment and other supplies to the eye care facilities at the
BSVIC, and offered training to ophthalmic personnel."
The World Health Organization estimates that approximately 37 million people
worldwide are blind and an additional 124 million have vision impairment.
Childhood blindness is a significant problem, with an estimated 1.4 million
blind children below 15 years old. In order to raise awareness about
blindness and vision impairment, World Sight Day is celebrated on the second
Thursday of October each year.
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The American University of Armenia Corporation (AUAC) is registered as a
non-profit organization in the United States and as the Armenian University
of Armenia Fund (AUAF) in Armenia .The American University of Armenia (AUA)
is affiliated through AUAC with the Regents of the University of California.
Receiving major support from the AGBU, AUA offers instruction leading to the
Masters Degree in eight graduate programs. For more information about AUA,
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