IAPB 9TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY 2012
17- 20 SEPTEMBER HYDRABAD INDIA
Partnership beyond eye care
Coordination of Vision 2020 in West-Africa, an example
of partnership
West African Health Organization (WAHO)
Dr Doulaye SACKO
Vision 2020 Coordinator in W AHO
Dr Irmela ERDMANN
West Africa Regional medical advisor CBM
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ECONOMIC COMMUNITY OF WEST AFRICAN STATES ( ECOWAS)
15 WEST-AFRICAN
STATES
THREE
LINGUISTIC
BLOCKS
8F+ 5A+2L
300 MILLIONS
Habitants
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Organisation
Ouest
Africaine de la
Santé (OOAS)
Organizaçao
Oest
Africana de la
Saude (OOAS)
West
African
Health
Organisation
( WAHO)
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The West-African Health Organisation (WAHO) is ECOWAS specialized
agency for health . Created in 1987 but became operational only in 2000.
WAHO’s Mission:
« the attainment of the highest possible standard and protection of
health of the peoples in the region through the harmonisation of policies of
member states , pooling of resources , cooperation with one another and
others for collective and strategic combat against the health problems in
the region ».
Priority:
Prevention of Blindness and visual impairment were a priority.
Guiding principles:
Vision 2020, the Right to Sight initiative
Focus:
Coordination of actions and actors.
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Coordination of vision 2020 in West-Africa
To achieve the Vision 2020 objectives, WAHO created a partnership
of all stakeholders covering all components of eye health.
The West-African Advocacy Forum of
Vision 2020 at WAHO : a platform for
information exchange, experience for
better coordination and implementation of
Vision 2020 the Right to Sight in the
region.
Created in 2002 in Abidjan
Approved by theGeneral Assembly of
Ministers of ECOWAS in Accra, in 2002.
Forum held bi-annually, brings together all stakeholders in eye
health.
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Vision 2020 Forum (Abuja 2006)
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Vision 2020 Forum ( Conakry 2012)
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Composition of the Forum
A. Action Group
B. NGO-Coordination Group
C. Country Coordination Group
D. Vision 2020 coordinator post
A. Action Group - members:
-3 representatives of MoH
(Coordinators of Eye Health
Programmes – one per linguistic
block),
- Co Chairs of IAPB
-2 Representatives of training and eye
health research institutions.
- 2 representatives of the NGOCoordination Group
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Issues of Interest (2003 – 2012)
- 2003
- Childhood Blindness control
- 2004
- Trachoma control
- 2006
- Scale up of Cataract surgical rate( CSR) in WA
- 2008
-Human Resource Development in eye health
- 2010
- Promotion of eye health in ECOWAS countries
(integration of PEC into PHC services)
-2012
-Improving eye health indicators management
through the National Health Information
Management System in the region
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Human Resources Development
Strengthening of programmes and eye
health services managers’ skills in
management, ICT, GIS and data
management
.
Training of trainers in sutureless cataract surgery
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Development of Infrastructures and Equipments
The Sheick Zayed Regional Eye Center
Banjul The Gambia
DESSO Conakry Guinea
Sightsavers and patners
WAHO Sightsavers and CBM
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Development of Infrastructures and Equipments
Optometry
Training Centre in
IOTA Bamako
Mali
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Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation
Resolutions were voted and adopted by the ECOWAS Assembly of
Health Ministers
Previous resolutions were focused on how to accelerate the
implementation of vision 2020 and improve national financial support to
eye health.
Latest resolution outcome led to change of programme name from
National Blindness Control Programme to National Eye Health
Programme with a holistic approach to eye health
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Advocacy and Resource Mobilisation (ctd)
Mobilization of additional resources
that a single country could not
mobilize: For example
-£1,315,338.00 from Sightsavers and
partners for the Sheick Zayed
Regional Eye Center
- The DESSO from WAHO CBM
Sightsavers …etc
Visite at the Essilor HQ in Paris
-The optometry training centre in
Francophone West Africa from
WAHO, IOTA, ICO-France Essilor
International, Brien Holden Vision
Institute ..etc
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Challenges
In application of the WHA-Resolution 56-26 all stakesholders came
together to strenghten ECOWAS Member States with the newly adopted
5-year Vision 2020 plan in 2003.
-Inadequate financial resources.
- Partial programmes implementation .
- Several programmes’ plans overtaken by events
-Limited resources for programme evaluation and review .
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Challenges (ctd)
Given donor fatigue by technical and financial partners, finding new
resources to prosecute eye health programmes remains a major challenge
Despite multiple advocacy efforts at the highest level, the effective
implementation of resolutions and recommendations continue to be a
bottleneck.
Way forward
Given the many challenges to tackle, a revision of the time-tested
coordination system which has withstood changing contexts could be one
answer.
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Merci de votre très aimable attention
Thank you for your kind
attention
Obrigado
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