Funding Agency: Lions Club International Foundation
PI: Naira Khachatryan, MPH, DrPH
The Garo Meghrigian Institute for Preventive Ophthalmology (Meghrigian Institute) of Avedisian Onanian Center for Health Services Research and Development (CHSR), Turpanjian School of Public Health (SPH), American University of Armenia with the financial support from the Lions Club International foundation (LCIF) conducted a 2-year nationwide epidemiological survey in Armenia using Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) methodology from September 2018 to September 2020. The aims of the project were 1) to estimate the prevalence of ocular morbidity and its potential causes, and vision loss due to cataract and other major causes among population aged 50 and over in Armenia; 2) to evaluate the effectiveness of the innovative public health approach implemented in Gegharkunik province of Armenia between 2003/4 and 2019 (an intervention supported by the LCIF SightFirst grant in 2003-2008 that has provided high quality cataract surgery to underserved populations) in reducing cataract related ocular morbidity and vision loss.