JEDDAH, 31 March 2007 — The US-based Lighthouse International, a nonprofit organization that helps people with vision loss, and Saudi Arabia’s Ebsar Foundation, also set up to help people with impaired vision, launched their third joint annual program in Dubai yesterday.
The program was held on the sidelines of the three-day Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) conference, which kicked off on Thursday at the Dubai Convention Center.
The program aims to draw the attention of ophthalmologists, optometrists, opticians and special educators. Professionals from Lighthouse International and Ebsar will cover a range of topics discussing the magnitude of eyesight problems in the Middle East.
According to Muhammad Bellow, general manager at Ebsar Foundation, recent statistics show that there are more than 160 million people with vision problems around the globe of which 124 million are sufferers of low vision impairment.
“We try to prepare as many professionals as possible who can help those who have low vision impairment to live fuller lives,” said Bellow.
“Three quarters of our society is under the age of 60, but we can’t consider age as the main factor behind low vision and blindness,” he said. “More work needs to be done and branches need to be opened.”
Lighthouse International and Ebsar Foundation are also set to offer additional comprehensive clinical low vision care courses for three days on April 2-5 in Dubai.
For further information contact Dr. Sarfaraz Khan ([email protected]) and Farid Yosufi ([email protected]).
