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Frequently
Asked Questions
What is the Armenian
EyeCare Project?
The
Armenian EyeCare
Project is a nonprofit
organization dedicated
to providing the
Armenian people
ophthalmologic
care through five
primary programs.
The organization
is governed by
a volunteer board
of directors and
funded entirely
with private dollars.
What is the mission
of the EyeCare
Project?
The
mission of the
AECP is to eliminate
preventable blindness
and its causes
in Armenia and
to make eye care
accessible to all.
When was the EyeCare
Project founded?
The AECP was founded
in 1992.
Why was the EyeCare
Project founded?
The
AECP was founded
after Armenia’s
Minister of Health
in late 1991 asked
the international
community for help
in fighting a “growing
wave of blindness
in Armenia” and
for assistance
with the country’s
serious health
crisis. The desperate
circumstances in
Armenia were a
result of a number
of widespread factors,
all occurring in
the same time frame.
During 1988, 50,000
people perished
and countless others
were injured in an
earthquake, a six-year
Azerbaijan and
Armenian war begin
resulting in thousands
of serious eye
injuries; 70 years
of Soviet mismanagement
had devastating
effects on Armenia
especially the
country’s progress
in general, the
medical care infrastructure,
the embargos on
the east and west,
and a number of
severe eye diseases
and conditions
not seen in other
countries. In addition
was the alarming
rate of juvenile
diabetes and diabetes-related
conditions.
Who founded the
EyeCare Project?
The
Armenia EyeCare
Project was founded
by Roger V. Ohanesian,
M.D., an ophthalmologist
practicing in Orange
County, California.
Dr. Ohanesian attended
medical school
at the University
of Vermont and
did his ophthalmology
residency and an
ophthalmology fellowship
at Harvard University
Medical School,
where he later
taught. Dr. Ohanesian
is very active
professionally
and in his volunteer
and community activities.
Among his many
awards include
the “Outstanding
Service Award,”
presented to him
by the President
of Armenia, Levon
Ter Petrossian,
in 1993; the “Humanitarian
of the Year Award,”
presented by the
Armenian Professional
Society; and the
Outstanding Clinical
Professor Award,”
presented by the
University of California
at Irvine.
What
are EyeCare Project’s
primary programs?
AECP has five primary
programs: (1) direct
patient care; (2)
medical training
and education —including
on-site training
in Armenia and
U.S. ophthalmology
fellowships; (3)
public education
and awareness;
(4) research; and
(5) strengthening
the Armenian eye
care delivery system
through capacity
building.
What
is
the value of medication
and medical equipment
donated
to Armenia by EyeCare
Project?
Since
1992, AECP has
donated over $19
million in medicines
and medical equipment
to Armenia because of
the generosity of American
pharmaceutical and medical
manufacturing companies
including Alcon, Allergan,
Carl Zeiss Optical, Eye
Technology and the $1
Million Pfizer Wet Lab
donation in 2006.
How many
patients
has EyeCare
Project treated?
Since
1992, AECP has
made 29 medical
missions to Armenia
and seen more than
150,000 patients
performing eye
screenings, surgeries
and other treatment
procedures.
Who are EyeCare
Project physicians
and how are they
selected?
AECP
physicians are
selected based
on their expertise
and their sub-specialty.
Most are highly
trained academicians
with extensive
experience in their
specialty and in
teaching, and widely
published. Many
are department
heads and professors
from some of the
most widely respected
eye centers in
the country including
Doheny Eye Institute
at USC, Stanford,
Duke, Rochester,
and the University
of California at
Irvine. Prior to
each mission, the
needs of patients
in Armenia are
assessed and physicians
are chosen who
have ophthalmologic
specialties that
meet those needs.
Where is Armenia?
Armenia
is located in an area
called the Caucasia,
a land bridge from Europe
to Asia. It is a landlocked
country, surrounded on
the south by Iran, on
the west by Turkey, on
the east by Azerbaijan
and on the north by Georgia.
It has been a Christian
country surrounded almost
entirely by Muslim neighbors
since the dawn of these
religions.
How many people
live in Armenia?
Currently,
about 3.2 million
people live in
Armenia. Its population
has been declining
the last several
years with particularly
heavy emigration
since its separation
from the Soviet
Union in the late
1980s. With an
estimated 60 percent,
or more than 4.5
million, of the
total 8 million
Armenians worldwide
living outside
the country, more
Armenians reside
outside of their
country than in
their country.
One million Armenians
live in the United
States.
What is the literacy
rate in Armenia?
The
literacy rate in
Armenia is 99 percent,
the highest in
the world. This
compares with 70
percent in the
United States.
What is an ophthalmologist?
An
ophthalmologist is a
medical doctor with advanced
training in ophthalmology
who is qualified to diagnose,
treat, and manage all
eye and visual system
problems and diseases
and is licensed by a
state regulatory board
to practice medicine
and surgery.
What
is the difference
between an
ophthalmologist,
optometrist and
optician?
Ophthalmologists
are medical doctors,
with four years
of medical school,
one year of internship,
and a minimum of
three years of
residency who are
licensed to perform
surgery and prescribe
medications. Optometrists
have four years
of professional
education at a
college of optometry
and earn an O.D.
degree. They are
licensed to diagnose
and treat certain
eye disorders and
diseases and prescribe
glasses and contact
lenses. Opticians
design, finish
and fit glasses
and contact lenses.
How many people
in the world are
blind?
Worldwide,
approximately 38
million people
are blind. Ninety
percent of these
people live in
developing countries.
What are the leading
causes of blindness?
The
leading causes
of blindness are
glaucoma, macular
degeneration, and
cataracts.
What are the leading
causes of eye injuries?
There
are approximately
one million eye
injuries each year
and almost all
are preventable.
Household injuries
account for the
majority of eye
injuries. Sports
injuries and fireworks
are other leading
causes.
What is Diabetic
Retinopathy?
Diabetic
retinopathy is
a potentially blinding
complication of
diabetes that damages
the eye's retina.
It affects half
of all Americans
diagnosed with
diabetes.
What is Age-Related
Macular Degeneration?
Age-related
macular degeneration
(AMD) is a disease
that affects your
central vision.
It is a common
cause of vision
loss among people
over age of 60.
Because only the
center of your
vision is usually
affected, people
rarely go blind
from the disease.
However, AMD can
sometimes make
it difficult to
read, drive, or
perform other daily
activities that
require fine, central
vision.
What is Glaucoma?
Glaucoma
is a group
of
diseases
that can
lead
to
damage
to the eye's
optic
nerve
and result
in
blindness.
Open-angle
glaucoma,
the most
common
form
of glaucoma,
affects
about 3 million
Americans--half
of whom don't
know
they
have it.
There
are
no
symptoms
initially,
however,
over time
you
can
go
blind.
With
early
treatment,
you can often
protect
your eyes
against
serious
vision loss
and
blindness.
What is Uveitis?
A
general term
that
refers
to inflammation
or
swelling
of the eyes’
structures
responsible
for
the
blood
supply. These
structures
are collectively
known
as the uveal
tract,
and
include the
iris,
ciliary
body, and
choroid.
Uveitis
is classified
by
the
structures
it
affects,
the underlying
cause,
and whether
it
is
chronic
(lasting
more
than
6 weeks),
or
acute
in
nature.
There are
four main
categories
of uveitis.
Anterior
uveitis (also
known
as
iritis)
involves
the
iris and
ciliary
body
and is the
most
common
type; intermediate
uveitis
affects the
ciliary
body,
vitreous
and retina;
posterior
uveitis involves
the
retina, choroid
and
optic
nerve; and
diffuse
uveitis
affects structures
both
in the front
and
back
of the eye.
What
is
a Cataract?
A
cataract
is
a clouding
of the eye's
lens
that
can cause
vision
problems.
The most
common
type
is related
to
aging.
More than
half
of
all
Americans
age
65
and
older have
a cataract.
In the early
stages,
stronger
lighting
and
eyeglasses
may
lessen
vision problems
caused
by cataracts.
At
a certain
point, however,
surgery
may be needed
to
improve
vision. Today,
cataract
surgery is
safe
and
very
effective.
How can I
contact the
Armenian
EyeCare Project?
You
can contact the
AECP by phone,
fax, E-mail or
by mail.
- Toll Free: 1-866-448-2327
Call:
1-949-675-5767
- Fax: 1-949-673-2356
- E-Mail: aecp@eyecareproject.com
- Write: P.O. Box 5630,
Newport Beach,
CA 92662
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