FINAL
NATIONAL OBSERVANCE OF WORLD SIGHT DAY 2005 – BANGLADESH
EVENT REPORT
Issued by: INGO Forum Bangladesh for Vision 2020
This year World Sight Day was observed nationally for the first time in Bangladesh with great enthusiasm & active the participation from Health Ministry, WHO, BNCB, National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) & International Eye NGO Forum Bangladesh for Vision 2020 namely: Sight Savers International, ORBIS International, CBM, Fred Hollows Foundation. To capitalize this occasion, the agencies showed their interest & commitment to fight against blindness together in the country. Since Govt. & WHO were directly involved in every event, it gained its special attention & importance to use this day an advocacy weapon for the prevention of blindness in Bangladesh. The presence of Health Minister, State Minister, Health Secretary & the Director General of Health Services together in discussion session on World Sight Day clearly indicated the interest & commitment of the Govt. towards the cause of blindness prevention. The discussion session on World Sight Day also gave the ample opportunity to aware eye care professionals & other stakeholders to learn about current status of eye health & to hear future eye health plan from the top-level executives from Ministry of Health.
Apart from the national level observance, a large number of organizations related with the prevention of blindness namely: BNSB chain, SSI supported MEC organized various WSD events at district level.
Activities undertaken on the occasion of World Sight day at national level:
- Sight restoration of a cataract blind child & a discussion session on World Sight Day
- Promotional & awareness raising advertisements in National dailies on eye health
- Distribution of eye care informative posters to all Govt. hospitals & eye care service providers across the country
- Transmission of 4 episodes eye care awareness program in National Radio channel
The above events were jointly organized by Ministry of Health, WHO, INGO Forum Bangladesh for Vision 2020.
1. Discussion session on World Sight Day:
The sight restoration of a cataract blind child & a discussion session on World Sight Day was organized at National Institute of Ophthalmology (NIO) premises on the occasion of World Sight Day. This event was organized a day before WSD because of public holiday on the day of WSD, the October 13. The Health Minister as the chief guest inaugurated the WSD activities by opening the bandage of an operated cataract blind child whose sight had been restored.
The State Minister for health & Prof. MA Matin, MP, the eminent ophthalmologist in the country were presents as the Special Guest where the Director General of Health Services as the Guest of Honor. The function was attended by eye care professionals, local & INGO representatives, Govt. different departments; eye service beneficiaries etc. About 300 participants attended the function.
The health secretary chaired the function.
In their speech, the guests expressed their firm commitment & further effort towards elimination of avoidable blindness from the country with increased allocation from Govt. The guests invited International NGO's to bring their more resources for this cause. The national TV channel covered the news of this event.
2. Promotional & awareness raising advertisements in National dailies on eye health
An informative & awareness advertisement on eye health was posted in 09 (nine) leading national daily newspapers to create mass awareness among the general public. The advertisement stressed on two eye health awareness messages:
- The messages on the reason of refractive error in children, their consequence & effect on education
- The information about the availability of eye health services in the country
- Distribution of eye care informative posters to all Govt. hospitals & eye care service providers across the country
Ten thousand posters were distributed to all Govt. district hospitals, Medical Colleges, NGO hospitals & other organization providing eye services across the country for displaying in their premises for public awareness on eye health. The same messages & the design were used in the poster to maintain homogeneity & greater coverage.
- Transmission of 4 episodes eye care awareness program in National Radio channel
Research showed that our national radio channel listeners are about one third of the total population. Considering the wide range of listeners, a four episode eye health awareness program was developed to create awareness on eye care among the mass population. The length of each of the episode is 15 minutes. The four episodes highlight four burning eye health issues: World Sight Day & its importance, general eye health problems & probable solutions; Cataract, IOL implantation & superstition on Cataract; Childhood Blindness; Refractive error.
Each episode contains a theme song, eye care information drama, discussion session & interview with some referral personalities: the eminent folk singer, film actor, prominent ophthalmologist etc.
Events by other organizations at National level:
Standard Chartered Bank:
- Standard Chartered Bank published their “Seeing & believing” advertisement in few national dailies on World Sight Day. They also supported fifty thousand posters which to be distributed in different eye care service locations & schools.
- Standard Chartered Bank airs an hour documentary on eye heath in channel i, a popular private TV channel on the day of World Sight Day to create eye health awareness.
Child Sight Foundations (CSF):
CSF, a national eye care NGO with a mandate of working for visually impaired children in different districts in Bangladesh.
To mark the WSD, this year CSF undertook few praiseworthy initiatives in Dhaka & different districts. CSF launched three four-color posters focusing on the right to sight for children that carries very focused messages & disseminated allover Bangladesh through its network partners. They published & distributed leaflets containing childhood blindness & primary eye care messages CSF also organized three eye camps in Jamalpur, Gurudaspur, Natore & Dhaka for children. A rally was organized in 5 districts participated by district civil surgeons, district commissioners, local elites, NGO workers & Govt. officials.
Toitomboor :
Toitomboor, the monthly magazine for juvenile has been voluntarily promoting Vision 2020 & eye care awareness especially among its reader group since the launching of WSD. This year they have organized few impressive programs following the WSD like: art & essay competition for children on eye care, publishing special supplements & wall paper, organized dristi mela (sight fair), launched special eye care booklet “Dristi (The Sight)” & distributed C-charts in school for school sight testing.
CARITAS:
Published a special supplement on eye care & role of CARITAS for blindness prevention
Events taken by other organizations at District level:
Bangladesh Society for the Blind (BNSB) chain:
Organized TV Talk show where social welfare minister was present & a cultural show paricipat3ed by the blind.
Organized rally participated by district commissioner, NGO workers, Govt. officials, school children.
A screening & primary eye care treatment camp in a Madrasha
Organized a discussion session on WSD & distributed T-Shirts
Organized a discussion session on WSD
Organized dialogue with OPD patients about eye care & showed a vidro tape to raise awareness. Distributed WSD posters to Puja mandap & other public places.
Organized discussion session on WSD at their hospital premises & distributed posters supplied by the INGO forum.
Organized discussion session & a rally on WSD
Distributed WSD posters to school teachers
Sight Savers International Modular Eye Care (MEC) chain :
Organized school sight testing in 5 schools & distributed free spectacles.
Organized discussion session & a rally on WSD
Organized discussion session & a rally on WSD
Organized school sight testing in two districts
Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh (OSB)- Comilla:
Organized a rally on WSD & distributed posters supplied by INGO Forum
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