Armenia's children in institutions or in poverty-stricken regions lack health care services and access to vision care. SOAR Mobile Eye Care Project will provide that care for them. A completely outfitted Mobile Eye Care Center will travel to all SOAR-supported facilities plus remote villages in Armenia to conduct routine vision screening, eye exams, and treatment for children and families.
Children in Armenia, who constitute 25% of the population, are the most disadvantaged. They rarely have routine health screening or checkups, let alone corrective surgeries or medical attention. Medical examinations carried out in rural areas of Armenia showed that 60% of school children had at least one chronic health complaint such as dental caries, vision or hearing problems. The prevalence of vision problems among 7-year-olds was 28% and in 14-year-olds was 45%.
SOAR Mobile Eye Care Project will provide Vision and Eye care. A completely outfitted Mobile Eye Care Center will travel to all SOAR-supported facilities plus remote villages in Armenia to conduct routine vision screening, eye exams, and treatment for children and families. SOAR is hoping to impact over 2,000 children and adults annually, targeting 40-50 children and families per week.
Because of perceived mental incapacity, children are institutionalized, abandoned, and socially isolated. They develop poor self-esteem and feel rejected and stigmatized. Many children are diagnosed as "mentally retarded" or "developmentally slow". Once corrected and/or treated, children will overcome these challenges by early diagnoses and treatments. It will save a child's vision and/or maintain a child's eye health.
This project has provided additional documentation in a Microsoft Word file (projdoc.doc).
