In
1992, a call came from
the Armenian Minister
of Health: “Help us fight
the growing wave of blindness.”
Years of tragedy had
taken a heavy toll on
the dark eyes of Armenia,
a country about the size
of Maryland with three
and one-half million
people struggling toward
a brighter future.
Armenia’s
critical need for eye
care is caused by a variety
and severity of eye diseases
not seen in other countries
combined with serious,
long-term eye trauma
complications —many from
the land mines that still
dot playgrounds and schoolyards.
Roger
Ohanesian,
M.D., a Laguna
Beach, California
ophthalmologist,
made his first
visit to Armenia
in 1992, and subsequently
founded the Armenian
Eye Care Project
(AECP). Every year
since, American
ophthalmologists
and reconstructive
surgeons have traveled
to Armenia twice
a year, at their
own expense, to
bring hope and
eye care to a people
who view the American
doctors as their
last chance for
sight.
In
2002, on their Tenth
Anniversary, the Armenian
EyeCare Project expanded
their program by launching
a Seven-Year Initiative,
“Bringing Sight to Armenian
Eyes,” to eliminate preventable
blindness in Armenia.
This is being accomplished
through a comprehensive,
integrated program focusing
on (1) direct patient
care; (2) medical education
and training; (3) public
education; (4) research;
and (5) strengthening
the Armenian eye care
delivery system. At the
same time, the EyeCare
Project opened an office
in Yerevan enabling them
to have a year-round
presence in Armenia.
Armenia’s
critical
need
for
eye
care
is
caused
by
a
variety
and
severity
of
eye
diseases
not
seen
in
other
countries
combined
with
serious,
long-term
eye
trauma
complications
—many
from
the
land mines
that
still
dot
playgrounds
and
schoolyards.
Particularly
troubling
is
the
alarming
rate
of
childhood
eye
disease
found
in
Armenian
youth,
including
glaucoma
and
diabetes-related
eye
disease
almost
never
seen
in
American youth
and
not
manifested
in
Americans
until
their
later
years.
The Armenia
EyeCare Project
is a California
nonprofit 501(c)(3)
corporation governed
by a volunteer
board of directors
and financed entirely
with donations.
Tax I.D. Number:
47-0850159
Nestled
between Turkey, Iran and Azerbaijan,
Armenia suffered a devastating
earthquake in 1988 that killed
more than 50,000 and injured
many more. The same year war
broke out between Armenia and
Azerbaijan, lasting six destructive
years. By 1991, a major health
care crisis existed and the
call for help was issued. Teams
of American ophthalmologists,
many returning to their homeland,
embarked on a mission to Armenia,
taking with them medicine and
equipment. Greater than half
of the patients they treated
were children and almost all
were war casualties. 
