500-600 children are born annually with vision problems
On June 28-29, Yerevan will host an international conference on the topic of "Prevention of the Retinopathy of Prematurity in Armenia," organized by the Armenian Eye Care Project (AECP) in collaboration with the Armenian Healthcare Ministry and USAID. The RA Minister of Health, Mr. Harutyun Kushkyan and the Acting Deputy Chief of Mission of the U.S. Embassy in Armenia, Mr. John Maher will participate in the event.
The conference launches the main stage of AECP's Screening, Diagnostics, and Treatment Program of Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in Armenia, to be implemented in several Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs) in Yerevan.
A representative medical mission led by renowned U.S. and international pediatric ophthalmologists and retina experts will arrive in Armenia on this special occasion.
The problem of ROP is emerging in Armenia, as evidenced by practicing neonatologists and ophthalmologists who encounter more and more of such cases. According to some estimates, about 500-600 children are born annually who belong to the risk group.
Meanwhile, the ROP screening, early detection and treatment are not available in Armenia. As a result, the vision problems of these children are being revealed when it is already too late, making treatment less effective. Aside from that, children with ROP have no option but to go abroad to receive treatment. In most cases families cannot afford treatment and children became disabled since early childhood.
The presentations and case studies of the current international conference relate to the history of the disease, its economic impact on the society, diagnosis and treatment. Special trainings for the Armenian specialists on screening of premature infants, ROP detection, laser treatment and implementation of advanced equipment constitute an inseparable part of the conference. For the first time in Armenia, with the help of photographs produced by Retina Cameras, specially imported by the AECP and telemedicine, the American and Armenian specialist will establish a long-run collaboration. It will insure the high quality of the Program's implementation in all of its stages.
