- Laos is one of the poorest countries in Southeast Asia
- Very sparsely populated
- 7 million people in an area 7 times the size of The Netherlands
- Nearly 70% live in rural areas
- Agriculture is the main source of income
- The largely mountainous country is difficult to access
- Few roads
- Large gaps in provision of health care and education
Latest news from Laos
-
“Going blind made my mother feel sad and isolated”
Mrs. Mane is 78 years old and lives in Houaphan, Laos. She lives in a small village with her daughter. Her daughter makes some money...
more -
I lost not only my vision but my pride as well
The life of Mr Meng from Laos came to a halt by the threat of becoming blind through cataracts. He received a cataract operation which...
more -
Hellen and Koos committed to Laos
Hellen and Koos Graniewski are celebrating their 40th wedding anniversary this year. Congratulations! Hellen says: At our 40th wedding anniversary party in August we enjoyed...
more
What does the Eye Care Foundation do?
In 2007, the Eye Care Foundation visited Laos for the first time. Ultimately, this resulted in the start-up of projects in the provinces of Xieng Khouang and Houa Phanh in 2011/2012. In these provinces, they support the expansion and quality improvement of eye care. The National Programme for the prevention of blindness began in Laos as early as 1984 but for many people good eye care remains unattainable. There is little or no eye care available closeby, only on a district level and sometimes not even that. The Eye Care Foundation is therefore committed to bring eye care closer to the villagers. In order to achieve this, the Eye Care Foundation employs health care workers.
Key points
- The quality of cataract surgery and the improvement of pre- and post-operation care.
- Increase the number of cataract surgeries (Cataract Surgery Rate – CSR)
- Expanding the referral system through the training of basic eye care staff
- Establish eye exams at schools
Project manager in Laos
At present, the Eye Care Foundation has no field office in Laos. Khounkham Inthasone, the project manager, reports to Elise Kenter, program manager Laos and Vietnam. For medical advice they are assisted by the Dutch ophthalmologist Cees van der Windt (Riverland Hospital), who works on a voluntary basis as a medical advisor for the projects of the Eye Care Foundation in Laos.