14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week

We are pleased to share that the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO) is organizing its fourteenth Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week in the second week of October, from October 7–13, 2024, in conjunction with World Sight Day 2024 (October 10, 2024).

This year, the Public Education Standing Committee has invited two subspecialty member societies – the Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Paediatric Ophthalmology Society (APSPOS) with the theme Childhood Myopia and the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society (APVRS) with the theme Diabetic Retinopathy, to co-organize the 2024 Eye Care Week.

All APAO member societies are invited to participate in the Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week 2024 by organizing public educational and community service activities during the Week in their area/region. To facilitate this, the two co-organizing societies have generously produced a comprehensive set of educational materials (media kits), which are available under “Media Kit” below. Member societies are encouraged to download the materials and use them for public education. You are welcome to publicize them either in the original form, or by translating them into your own languages and localizing the content to suit the needs of your audience.

LAUNCH OF EYE CARE WEEK PRIZES

We are delighted to share that this year, APAO is launching two Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week Prizes to commend member societies for their exemplary initiatives and efforts during the Eye Care Week:

Prize

Judging Criterion

The Best Public Educational Prize

Number of members of public reached by the public educational event

The Best Public Eye Screening Prize

Number of members of public who have their eyes screened by the screening program

Participation is voluntary. Interested member societies should register for participation in the competition, and submit a report of the activities organized in their respective regions via the Report-cum-Registration Form by Thursday, October 31, 2024.

Link to the Report-cum-Registration Form:
https://airtable.com/appbqdE243I6kcdPG/shr3bKWL7iCY3jzbr

Upon the Council’s endorsement of winners, prizes will be presented at the APAO 2025 Congress in New Delhi, India. If no participating member societies fulfill the criteria, then no awards will be presented.

After the conclusion of your Eye Care Week activities, independent of participation in the Eye Care Week Prizes, all APAO member societies are encouraged to share the highlights in the form of photos and/or videos by Thursday, October 31, 2024, at the link to Report-cum-Registration Form. Activities will be reported on this webpage.

Media Kit

The 14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week: A Milestone

The 14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week, held from October 7–13, 2024, in conjunction with World Sight Day on October 10, concluded with a widespread outreach across Afghanistan, Brunei, Hong Kong, Iran, Korea, Malaysia, Mongolia, Myanmar, the Pacific Islands, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka. A wide range of activities were organized to promote eye care awareness during this period.

In addition, APAO marked a new chapter in the Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week Project by launching two prizes to recognize member societies for their outstanding initiatives during Eye Care Week. Five APAO member societies participated in the 2024 Eye Care Week Prize Competition: 4 societies competed for both the Best Public Educational Prize and Best Public Eye Screening Prize, while 1 society competed for the Best Public Educational Prize only.

This success would not have been possible without the collaboration of our co-organizers: the Public Education Standing Committee, the Asia-Pacific Strabismus and Paediatric Ophthalmology Society (APSPOS), and the Asia-Pacific Vitreo-retina Society (APVRS). We also extend our heartfelt gratitude to all member societies that participated in and supported this event.

A summary of this year’s activities is outlined below.

Eye Care Campaigns in the Asia-Pacific Region

Afghanistan 

The Afghanistan Society of Ophthalmology (ASO) celebrated World Sight Day at the Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) and organized free eye camps for cataract surgery in rural areas of Qarabagh District. More than 30 participants attended the event, including representatives from the authorities. At the Qarabagh camp, the staff consisted of about 10 members, including 3 surgeons. They performed about 50 cataract surgeries. Some of the patients were referred to a medical center for further treatment.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Brunei

The Brunei Ophthalmology Society (BOS) celebrated World Sight Day on November 16, 2024, with the launch of the National Artificial Intelligence Eye Screening Programme at the Ministry of Health. The Minister of Health, as the guest of honor, emphasized the significance of integrating AI technology in ophthalmology to increase early detection and timely treatment. Dr. Helena Hurairah, the outgoing President of BOS, highlighted the increasing prevalence of myopia among children, addressing the World Sight Day 2024 theme around children’s eye health. The event featured an eye health exhibition and AI-based public screenings, benefiting 375 attendees with on-site assessments.

 
 
 
 

 

Hong Kong, China

The Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society (HKOS) organized two impactful events during the 14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week in conjunction with World Sight Day:

Hong Kong Myopia Awareness Campaign 2024

A territory-wide public educational initiative, the Hong Kong Myopia Awareness Campaign 2024, was jointly organized by the HKOS and Orbis. It was a two-staged campaign. The first stage was an online survey with educational messages held in August and September 2024, and engaged over 1,430 respondents, including individuals with and without myopia, and parents of children with myopia. The survey results highlighted that 30% of respondents had high myopia (>-5D). It also revealed a significant lack of awareness regarding the risks of high myopia. The second stage was a press release during Eye Care Week with extensive media coverage, including TV news, a radio interview, newspaper reports, as well as features on online platforms and social media. The multiple channels effectively communicated the survey results and insights to a massive and diverse audience, emphasizing the causes of high myopia, increased risks of ocular diseases associated with high myopia and the importance of regular check-ups for early detection and treatment of such diseases. The campaign received positive feedback from both the ophthalmic care community and the general public, marking it as a successful and meaningful initiative.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 
 
 
 

 

Public Education Day on Thyroid Eye Disease

On the eve of the 70th anniversary of the HKOS and the 30th anniversary of The College of Ophthalmologists of Hong Kong (COHK), the two organizations jointly hosted a Public Education Day on Thyroid Eye Disease (TED) on October 13, 2024. The event educated the public on the importance of picking up TED symptoms and signs with free eye screening, expert educational talks as well as a patient story sharing session. This event was a great success, with 188 registered participants, and 120 individuals benefiting from eye screenings and counseling services.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Iran

The Iranian Society of Ophthalmology (IrSO) took several initiatives to enhance public awareness of eye health in Iran. Ophthalmology institutes and hospitals under IrSO organized programs aimed at educating the public and improving the knowledge of ophthalmologists and nurses. These initiatives reached between 1,000 and 2,000 members of the public and 100 to 200 ophthalmologists. Webinars covering various ophthalmology subspecialties engaged 200 to 300 attendees. Live television programs provided valuable information about eye diseases, effectively enhancing public knowledge. Media interviews with ophthalmologists helped raise awareness about the importance of eye care among the public.

Korea, Republic of

Based on the situation in the country, the Korean Ophthalmological Society (KOS) decided to organize an online celebration for Eye Care Week 2024. A video on glaucoma prevention was streamed on YouTube, receiving 908 views, effectively reaching and educating the public.

Malaysia

The Malaysian Society of Ophthalmology was actively involved in several impactful initiatives during this year’s Eye Care Week:

Public Awareness Campaign on Scam Medication and AI Misinformation

  • The Society launched a campaign to raise awareness about the dangers of scam medications and the misuse of AI to impersonate reputable ophthalmologists.
  • The initiative began with a radio interview, followed by a press conference attended by representatives from both mainstream print and online media outlets.

Eye Screening Program in Kuala Terengganu

  • Targeting 82 primary schools in the district, the program focused on students suspected by their teachers of having visual problems.
  • A total of 691 individuals, including schoolchildren and members of the public, were screened.
  • Outcomes:
    • 90 children received temporary spectacles and prescriptions for permanent ones.
    • 48 children were referred to hospitals for further evaluation, including cycloplegic refraction, glaucoma suspicion, and cataract assessment.
  • The program was conducted in collaboration with the Sultan of Terengganu’s Foundation. As part of the initiative, 10 digital screening charts were donated to hospitals and clinics across the state.

Myopia Screening Program in Putrajaya

  • Organized by the Malaysian Advocacy for Myopia Prevention (MAMP), the program was held at Alamanda Mall in Putrajaya.
  • A total of 221 children were screened. Among them, 46 children with refractive errors were identified and referred for further tests and treatment.

Mongolia

During the 2024 Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week, the Mongolian Ophthalmologists’ Society organized awareness activities in schools under the theme “Love Your Eyes” aimed at educating children on eye health:

  • Kindergarten children: A total of 246 kindergarten children were educated, and 220 eye screenings were performed.
  • Schoolchildren: 900 schoolchildren participated in the educational sessions, and 880 eye screenings were performed.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Myanmar

The Myanmar Ophthalmological Society celebrated the 14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week by organizing activities at various hospitals, including Yangon Eye Hospital, North Okkalapa General Hospital, Mandalay Eye ENT Hospital, Thingangyun General Hospital, and Taunggyi General Hospital. These hospitals served as teaching centers for other hospitals in different divisions of Myanmar. Diabetic retinopathy education and screening were conducted at all the listed hospitals. Additionally, myopia education was provided at Yangon Eye Hospital. Number of participants in the educational events was 300, and the total number of participants in the screening events was 55.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Pacific Islands

The Pacific Eye Care Society (PacEYES) celebrated World Sight Day with the theme ‘Children, Love Your Eyes’. The PacEYES Samoa Country Representative and Vice President, Dr. Lucilla Ah Ching-Sefo, along with the clinical staff of the Eye Department at Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital, screened 50 schoolchildren.

Pakistan

The Ophthalmological Society of Pakistan (OSP) organized a series of events from October 7-13, 2024, to celebrate the 14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week, in which 11,665 participants were educated and 8,923 eyes were screened across the country.

To celebrate World Sight Day (WSD), a week of awareness and myopia screening was organized at the provincial capitals of blindness control headquarters. Activities included initiatives within the office of the implementing agency, screenings at tertiary and district-level hospitals, primary-level screenings at Rural Health Centers (RHCs) with Vision Screening Clinics (VSCs), school screenings, training of screeners in Peek Technology for Refraction, mass media campaigns, and awareness walks.

The activities, specifically aimed at screening children for myopia and adults for diabetic retinopathy, took place in 16 districts across the country where OSP had representatives, in collaboration with international partners like CBM, Sightsavers, and FHF. These districts also hosted community eye care projects, leading to numerous WSD events.

The following institutions contributed to the activities under the OSP’s coordination with the government health system:

  • College of Ophthalmology & Allied Vision Sciences (COAVS) / King Edward Medical University, Lahore
  • Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology (PICO) / Khyber Medical University, Peshawar
  • Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology & Vision Sciences (SIOVS), Eye Hospital, Hyderabad
  • Comprehensive Eye Care Cell (CEC Cell) Balochistan / Helper Eye Hospital, Quetta
  • Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) / Quaid-e-Azam Medical University, Islamabad
  • Comprehensive Eye Care Cell (CEC Cell) Azad Jammu & Kashmir / Mirpur AJK

The following activities were successfully carried out by the implementing partners at the government level under OSP’s World Sight Day Awareness Week 2024 celebrations:

  • School screenings at more than 90 schools
  • Awareness sessions for children and teachers on common eye diseases, with a focus on myopia
  • Free glasses delivery to children
  • Awareness sessions in communities, schools, and health authorities, alongside awareness walks at health facilities, RHCs, and VSCs
  • Screening of diabetic patients at 3 Outpatient Department (OPD) outlets at Mayo Hospital Lahore, the region’s largest tertiary hospital
  • Provincial-level seminars on WSD at 5 provincial capitals, with enthusiastic participation by government officials and INGOs working in eye care
  • Awareness walks at more than 30 locations
  • Distribution of flyers, banners, and IEC materials at health facilities and free stalls
  • Media coverage, including interviews in local and national newspapers, TV channels, and distribution of Information, Education, and Communication (IEC) materials
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

Sri Lanka

On behalf of the College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka, four consultants organized various programs across the country to celebrate the 14th Asia-Pacific Eye Care Week:

  • Lalitha Senarath, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the National Hospital, Galle, conducted awareness programs on diabetic retinopathy, highlighting its complications and sequelae. Eye screenings were performed for schoolteachers and diabetic patients. Additionally, she designed and distributed public awareness leaflets in the local language.
  • Sagara Pathirage, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Teaching Hospital, Badulla, led a health education program on refractive errors and diabetic retinopathy for Public Health Medical Officers.
  • Deepani Wewalwala, Consultant Ophthalmologist at the National Hospital, Colombo, carried out eye screenings for diabetic patients at the Ayurveda Hospital, Colombo.
  • Maduwanthi Dissanayaka, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Senior Lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Colombo, organized a special educational program for patients with retinitis pigmentosa at the Eye Care Center, Faculty of Medicine, and conducted eye screenings to identify refractive errors. She also delivered an online lecture titled “Digital Eye Strain and Your Child” via Zoom, and published articles in national print media to emphasize the importance of early detection of eye disorders in children and adults.

In total, 121 participants were educated, and 226 eye screenings were performed through these programs.