Helping Earthquake Victims Restore their Eye Health Report 1

Name of Organization: NEPALESE ASSOCIATION OF OPTOMETRISTS (NAO)

Name of the Project: Helping earthquake victims restore their eye health.

Location of the Project: Dolakha District comprising Sahare, Pawati, Lamidanda, and Kabre VDC

Project Duration: August 2015 to September 2016

Names of other funding and / or implementing partners: (including all government, educational, institutional and local organizations) and their function.

Implementing partner: Camps were implemented in partnership with BP Eye Foundation (an NGO in Kathmandu who had a medical team comprising of general physician, gynecologist, psychology counselor, pediatrician, otologist and other support staff).

Key Objectives of the Project.

1. To examine people for eye health problems,
2. To provide needy people with medicines, glasses and referral for surgery,
3. To support poor families with sanitary goods,
4. To raise awareness on post earthquake infections and maintaining environmental/ personal hygiene in the community.

Key Project Inputs:

1. Two health camps were held in earthquake affected villages of Dolakha District.
2. Distribution of free glasses and medication to people in the village.
3. Distribution of sanitary goods to poor families.

Key Achievements and Targets:

1. A total of 832 people were examined comprehensively for their eye health problems in two villages (Sahare and Kabre) of Dolakha District by a team of optometrists.
2. A total of 648 people were provided with an intervention. Medicines were given to 452 people. The medicines mostly comprised of tear substitutes, antibiotics and anti-allergics.156 people (most of whom were presbyopes) were provided with glasses. Minor lid repairs and foreign body removal was done in 8 people who sustained injury from the disaster. A total of 32 required cataract surgery; they were counseled along with their family members and were referred to a tertiary hospital in Kathmandu (B.P. Koirala Lions Centre) having facilities of the required care and management.
3. 80 families (40 in each village) were provided with sanitary packs; each pack comprising of 2 pc each of soap, toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, towel, hair oil, razor, shaving cream, sanitary pads and water purifier solution.
4. An awareness raising program was held in both the villages on the theme "Risk of Infection after Earthquake" and "Maintaining environmental/ personal Hygiene." More than 500 people participated in the program.

Details of outputs

Activity Sites:

• Sahare V.D.C Dolakha
• Kabre V.D.C Dolakha

VDC	Male	Female	Total
Sahare	285	125	410
Kabre	265	157	422
Total	550	282	832

2. Common Ocular Conditions  Diagnosed 

Ocular condition	Sahare	Kabre	Total
Refractive error (causing Visual Impairment)	76	80	156
Cataract (VA 6/60 or less)	24	8	32
Poor ocular hygiene related conditions (blepharitis, conjunctivitis, ocular allergies etc)	67	54	121
Ocular injury, foreign body	5	3	8
Pterygium, Pinguecula, dry eyes	84	54	138
Others	106	87	193
Total	362	286	648

3. Intervention Provided

Intervention	Sahare	Kabre	Total
Medicines	155	123	452
Glasses	18	22	40
Lid repair/ FB removal	5	3	8
Referral for cataract surgery	24	8	32
Total	393	255	648

4. Support to poor families (providing of sanitary goods)

40 poor families in each village; that is a total of 80 families were provided with one sanitary pack each.

5. Awareness on ""Risk of Infection after Earthquake" and "Maintaining environmental/ personal Hygiene."

Participants from

Sahare VDC= 328

Kabre VDC= 234

Total= 562

Key Challenges and Key Learnings

Key Challenges 

1. An unstable political situation in the country caused delay in starting the project activities. Blockade of southern border to Nepal prevented import of essential goods. The major challenge was for managing transportation due to shortage of petroleum products and lodging facility at the camp site as majority of the houses were damaged. 
2. Identifying poor families for distribution of sanitary packs. More people than expected visited camps with the hope of getting one. 
3. Frequent power cuts disturbed usage of some medical equipment. The battery operated equipments and generator were carried for backup.
4. Rough roads and shortage of food at camp sites gave discomfort for the camp team. 

Key Learnings

Project Objectives, Achievements and Outputs

SN	Project Objectives	Achievements	Outputs
1.	Organize four health camps, one  each in four earth quake affected villages of Dolakha district	One health camp each was held in Sahare and Kabre VDC	832 people examined for ocular conditions
			648 people provided with an intervention
2.	Support poor families with sanitary goods to maintain personal hygiene	40 families in each village of Dolakha provided with a sanitary pack	240 people (assuming 6 people on average per family) benefitted with sanitary goods
3.	Raise public awareness on "Risk of Infection after Earthquake" and "Maintaining environmental/ personal Hygiene."	2 awareness raising programs held, one in each village of Dolakha district	562 people participated in awareness raising program

Summary of Expenses (August 2015- April 2016)

SN	Particulars	Amount allocated for Aug- April (NRs)	Expenses (NRs)	Balance  (NRs)
A	Expenses common for all programs
i.	Transportation of technical team from Kathmandu	100,000	125,000	-25,000
ii.	Daily allowance for technical team from Kathmandu	200,000	210,000	-10,000
iii.	Salary of project coordinator	360,000	360,000	0
iv.	Stationary and printing	45,000	35,000	10,000
v.	Communication and internet	45,000	37,500	7,500
B	Expenses for specific programs	0	0	0
1.	Holding Eye Camps	0	0	0
i.	Camp advertisement	10,000	7,000	3,000
ii.	Venue rental	10,000	10,000	0
iii.	Generator rental	10,000	18,000	-8,000
iv.	Refreshment for volunteers	10,000	12,000	-2,000
v.	Medicines	40,000	45,000	-5,000
vi.	Glasses	120,000	156,000	-36,000
2.	Support poor families with sanitary goods	150,000	150,000	0
3.	Development of health awareness materials	0	0	0
i.	Remuneration for resource person	60,000	50,000	10,000
ii.	Designing and layout cost	20,000	10,000	10,000
iii.	Printing cost	150,000	120,000	30,000
3.	Organizing Health Awareness Program	0	0	0
i.	Audio video rental	20,000	18,000	2,000