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About
AECP
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Years of
tragedy
had
taken
a heavy
toll
on
the
dark
eyes
of
Armenia |
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In
1992, a call came
from the Armenian
Minister of Health: “Help
us fight the growing
wave of blindness.” Years
of tragedy had taken
a heavy toll on the dark
eyes of Armenia, a tiny
country with three and
one-half million people
struggling toward a brighter
future. Roger
Ohanesian, M.D.,
a Laguna Beach, California
ophthalmologist, made
his first visit to Armenia
that year and subsequently
founded the Armenian
Eye Care Project.
Nestled
between Turkey, Iran
and Azerbaijan, Armenia
suffered a devastating
earthquake in 1988 that
killed more than 50,000,
injuring many more.
The same year warbroke
out between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, lasting sixdestructive
years. By 1991, a major
health care crisis existed
and the call for help
was issued. Teams of
American ophthalmologists,
many returningto
their homeland, embarked
on their first mission
to Armenia, taking with
them medicine and equipment.
Greater than half of
the patients they treated
were children and almost
all were war casualties. |
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