THE ARMENIAN EYECARE PROJECT
NON-PROFIT FOUNDATION
Starting from 1992
About
THE ARMENIAN EYECARE PROJECT
The Armenian EyeCare Project (AECP) is a non-profit foundation, established in the United States in 1992 by the American-Armenian ophthalmologist Dr. Roger Ohanesian. Later in 2002, the Armenian branch of the AECP was established in Yerevan, Armenia.
AECP’s mission is to eliminate preventable blindness in Armenia, enhance the accessibility of eye care services and the overall quality of healthcare. In the scope of the project, many well-known ophthalmologists from around the world visited Armenia to treat patients and share their vast experience and knowledge with their Armenian counterparts.
During the last more than three decades, a significant amount of modern medical equipment and supplies was donated to Armenia. The AECP’s contribution to the development of ophthalmology and improvement of eye care services in Armenia is invaluable.
BRINGING SIGHT TO ARMENIAN EYES
Since 2003
Considered the hallmark of the AECP, the Mobile Eye Hospital (MEH) was purchased with generous donations from many of our donors and brought to Armenia in 2002 to offer sight-saving eye care services.
Equipped with a state-of-the art surgical suite and two exam rooms, MEH is 48 feet long with a total surface of 408 square feet. Since 2003, MEH has been traveling throughout Armenia to offer sight-saving eye care services in the scope of “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes” Program, including medical care, medical education and training, public education, statistics gathering and research, as well as capacity building.
For over 20 years, in the scope of “Bringing Sight to Armenian Eyes” Program, MEH has been traveling through the regions of Armenia delivering high quality eye care and screening, laser treatments and surgeries to many residents living in the regions of the country.
EYE SCREENING FOR CHILDREN
Since 2004
Since 2004, the Armenian EyeCare Project has been implementing pediatric eye screening programs across the regions of Armenia, combining vision screenings with public education activities aimed at promoting proper eye care and preventing childhood blindness. Alongside screenings, children, parents, and educators receive educational materials and participate in awareness sessions designed to encourage early detection and timely treatment of eye diseases.
In recent years, the program has been implemented in partnership with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles and United States Agency for International Development, allowing AECP to expand a comprehensive pediatric eye care model that includes school and kindergarten screenings, referral systems, treatment opportunities, and training of medical personnel.
The initiative focuses on ensuring that children with identified vision problems receive further examination, treatment, and eyeglasses when needed, while all screening results are entered into an electronic database to support efficient analysis, follow-up, and continuity of care. Over the years, the program has reached hundreds of thousands of children throughout Armenia through school- and kindergarten-based screenings, specialized referrals, treatment services, and large-scale public education campaigns. Educational books, games, and informational materials have also been distributed nationwide to help raise awareness about children’s eye health among families and communities.
RETINOPATHY OF PREMATURITY AND
CENTER OF EXCELLENCE FOR THE
PREVENTION OF CHILDHOOD BLINDNESS
Since 2010
The Center of Excellence for the Prevention of Childhood Blindness was established in partnership with the USAID. The goal of this program is to make specialized eye care services available to all children in Armenia and in the region, saving thousands of premature infants with Retinopathy of Prematurity from going blind. This is the logical continuation of the National Program aimed at detecting and treating ROP in Armenia.
In the past few years, children from different countries of the region received treatment at the Center of Excellence. As a result of this project, there are no cases of childhood blindness due to ROP in Armenia at present. Moreover, due to the overwhelming success of the program, it has become an integral part of the state healthcare system in the country.
REVITALIZATION OF RURAL OPHTHALMIC
INFRASTRUCTURE IN ARMENIA
Since 2015
In the scope of this program, the AECP established Regional Eye Centers in five regions of Armenia. The Centers are outfitted with state-of-the-art equipment and serve as secondary level eyecare facilities, providing comprehensive eye care services, including diagnostics, treatment and surgeries. The Centers provide free of charge eye care services to the vulnerable population of the regions, as well as offer paid services to those patients, who are not enrolled in the state healthcare program, thus contributing to self-sufficiency and financial independence of each facility. As part of the program, continued professional education and training is offered to the local physicians and nurses, ensuring high quality of eye care services offered at the Regional Eye Centers.
Regional Eye Centers
• Ijevan, Tavush – 2015
• Spitak, Lori – 2016
• Kapan, Syunik – 2017
• Gyumri, Shirak – 2018
• Yeghegnadzor, Vayots Dzor – 2020
As part of the mission to make eye care accessible to every resident in Armenia, it is envisioned to establish Diagnostic Eye Clinics and Primary Eyecare Clinics in other regions of Armenia thereby creating an integrated regional eye care network that ensures early detection, timely referral, continuous treatment, and long-term accessibility of high-quality ophthalmic services for the population throughout Armenia.
Through this sustainable infrastructure development model, the Armenian EyeCare Project aims to reduce preventable blindness and strengthen the country’s ophthalmic healthcare system for future generations.
Diagnostic Eye Clinics
• Armavir, Armavir – 2022
• Talin, Aragatsotn – 2022
• Martuni, Gegharkunik – 2023
• Goris, Syunik – 2025
• Yeghvard, Kotayk – 2025
Primary eye care clinics
• Charentsavan, Kotayk – 2024
• Meghri, Syunik – 2025
• Sisian, Syunik – 2025
DIABETES AND EYE CARE
Since 2017
The AECP’s Diabetic Retinopathy Prevention Program, implemented in partnership with the World Diabetes Foundation and the Ministry of Health of Armenia from 2017-2020 served as the basis for the second cycle of funding provided by the World Diabetes Foundation in 2020 to implement the National Strategy on Prevention of Blindness from Diabetes Program that kicked off in 2020.
Diagnostics of patients with diabetes is performed using cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies, while treatment is done on board of the MEH and in the leading eyecare clinics in Yerevan. Ongoing training is provided to the healthcare workers, as well as patients diagnosed both with pre-diabetic condition and with diabetes. The Government of Armenia adopted diabetes prevention strategy and Continuum of Care for patients with diabetes, developed in partnership with the AECP.
The program also includes HbA1c testing, diabetic foot screenings, laser treatment, cataract surgeries for people living with diabetes, and the implementation of Diabetes Schools aimed at improving patient self-management and awareness. In parallel, extensive professional training programs are conducted for healthcare providers throughout Armenia, strengthening national capacity for early diagnosis, referral, treatment, and long-term diabetes care.
PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
The AECP initiates and implements various projects aimed at transferring international medical experience and knowledge to local health care professionals in Armenia. For over 30 years, the AECP has been offering short and long-term fellowship programs for Armenian ophthalmologists in the leading US clinics.
Through the AECP efforts, professional publications and books have been published on a regular basis and new methodologies for learning have been made available such as online education classes, WetLab classes, online libraries, as well as various online educational platforms. The AECP also provides opportunities to strengthen the professional relations and connections between leading Armenian and international hospitals and universities.
The annual international conference on ophthalmology and other medical specialties has become a tradition, playing a unique role in advancing education and enabling an exchange of experience.
PUBLIC EDUCATION AND
PUBLICATIONS
The AECP offers various public education sessions focused on promoting eye care, overall health and healthy lifestyle both for adults and children. Publications, short videos, public service announcements are presented during public education lessons, classes and interactive online events. Classes for adults focus on informing the public about eye diseases and related medical conditions as well as ways to prevent those, while classes for children focus on typical pediatric eye issues, trauma, eye diseases and ways to ensure healthy lifestyle.
AECP’s annal events dedicated to the World Sight Day have also become a tradition, providing opportunities to highlight the importance of eye care among large segments of population.
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