Xova 2020 Winners

This year, a record number of 156 non-profit eye health initiatives from 38 countries were submitted to the eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award (XOVA). As a result, an independent panel of ophthalmology and optometry experts selected the 12 projects, compared to 10 in 2019, that aligned best with XOVA’s mission to have a significant impact in unmet needs. In total Novartis will award the winning initiatives with a combined grant worth €515,000, projected to benefit up to 200,000 people.

Novartis congratulates this year’s winners:

• School teachers as vision screeners for refractive errors and vitamin A deficiency in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India
  Fr. Jacob Poikathanickal (Sabu P.L) on behalf of Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS)
• Improving access to diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment (IMPACT) in Malawi
  Dr. Shaffi Yusuf Mdala on behalf of the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COECSA)
• Expanding pediatric access to eye care in Guatemala
  Dr. Chundak Tenzing on behalf of the Seva Foundation
• India’s Vision on Wheels
  Dr. V. Vasumathy on behalf of the Gurupriya Vision Research Foundation
• Eye care delivery for Brazilians living in vulnerable conditions
  João M Furtado on behalf of Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil
• The Karnali Cataract Project
  Dr. Shakti Prasad Subedi on behalf of Nepal Red Cross Society Surkhet Eye Hospital
• Eye care services for minority populations in Pakistan
  Sohail Ayaz Khan on behalf of the Comprehensive Health and Education Forum International (CHEF Int’l)
• Blindness Free Village Initiative, Udhampur, India
  John M Barrows on behalf of the International Eye Foundation
• Chemba District’s first community eye center
  Dr. Frank Sandi on behalf of the University of Dodoma Teaching Hospital
• Reducing the burden of blindness in Mopti region, Mali
  Dr. Borja Corcóstegui Guraya on behalf of Eyes of the World Foundation
• War against diabetic blindness in Central India
  Dr. Gajendra Chawla on behalf of Vision Academy – The Socio Medical Society, Samiti
• Telescreening for ROP in Bangladesh
  Lindsay Hampejsková on behalf of IRD Global

Applications open for 2021

Applications are now open for the 2021 awards: You can find out more information and apply here.