MONGOLIA
“Supporting rural and urban populations access the highest quality eye health care in Mongolia”
MAKING AN IMPACT IN MONGOLIA
Sight For All first began supporting eye health in Mongolia in 2018 with an Ocular Oncology Training Project, for 4 Mongolian ophthalmologists and one pathologist from the Mongolian National University of Health Sciences in Ulaanbaatar.
Just as the COVID-19 pandemic began in 2020, Sight For All was preparing to undertake Fellowship training in the sub-specialty areas of neuro-ophthalmology and glaucoma. These two projects were training 5 local ophthalmologists via our in-country Fellowship projects. With the return of international travel, we plan to commence these projects in late 2022 / early 2023.
Mongolia has a population of 3.3million, 32% of whom live in rural areas.
The eye health of those living in regional areas is supported by Secondary Eye Units, that each have a female ophthalmologist providing support to the local community.
With glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy being in the top three causes of blindness and vision loss in Mongolia, Sight For All is addressing this in regional Mongolia, through a 2-year project. The project is called the ‘Empowerment and Education of Women Eye Health Workers and Organisational Strengthening in Mongolia’ Project that is supported by the Australia Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP).
Ophthalmologists and eye health workers are being trained to screen and diagnose glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy. To support the education, the project includes provision of handheld and portable equipment used as vital diagnostic tools.
Each of the 21 Secondary Eye Units are also participating in a glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy awareness component of the project, targeted at the local community.