Photo courtesy of Robert W. Butner, MD |
Every 5 seconds, somewhere in the world, someone goes blind, and a child goes blind every minute. Worldwide, 161 million people are blind or visually impaired. Ninety percent of the blindness and visual disability is in low income nations, where people are ten times more likely to become blind than their counterparts in economically developed nations. The rate of blindness is expected to double by the year 2020 unless sight-saving medical and surgical care is available to people worldwide. Unfortunately, in many parts of the world, there are not enough trained professionals to provide quality eye care services. The Foundation, through its international assistance activities, provides free Academy educational materials to training programs in developing countries and provides practicing ophthalmologists in those regions with opportunities to participate in educational and skills transfer courses at the Academy's Annual Meeting. News Alert: Now Online - The EyeCare Volunteer Registry
Did you ever want to change the world? Become an international volunteer and you can! The EyeCare Volunteer Registry can help you get started by providing you with information on volunteeer sites in developing nations that need assistance. Learn about sites that match your particular interests and skills, including geographic preferences, length of service, type of service (teaching, clinical) and specialized training and experience (subspecialty skills). Search the registry to find a suitable situation for your next working vacation. Now, you can even volunteer by providing e-consultations from your home or office.
Read about E-volunteering
Click here to find out more about becoming an International Volunteer
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