Timor-Leste has new Eye Health Strategic Plan

As part of the process of implementing the WHO Global Action Plan 2014 – 2019, IAPB, the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) along with the WHO country office in Timor-Leste supported the East Timor Eye Care Programme to carry out a national blindness survey using RAAB survey methodology in 2016. The survey work was financially supported by the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) and IAPB extended technical support for data collection, analysis, report generation, dissemination and publication of result.

The survey results showed that prevalence of blindness in Timor-Leste was higher than other SEA countries, Cataract Surgical Coverage was low and there is significant gender imbalance in the utilization of available eye care services in the country. The survey identified that technical quality of service also needs improvement.

Once the survey results with new evidence was ready, IAPB in collaboration with the WHO country office and the Ministry of Health Timor-Leste organised a dissemination of the survey results and worked on the strategic plan based on the latest blindness and visual impairment data generated from a RAAB survey in 2018.

The Ministry of health has finally approved the strategic plan for eye health services of Timor-Leste. The plan covers the period of 30 years and provides all strategic guidelines for infrastructure development, human resource development, deployment and service delivery process and targets to meet for next 30 years.