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J Comm Eye Health Indian Supplement 2004;17(49): s19-s20

ARTICLE

Vision 2020 : The Right to Sight - India Forum

D. Nagarajan
Chief Executive Officer, Vision 2020: The Right to Sight India Forum

R.D. Thulasiraj
Chairman, India Vision 2020: The Right to Sight India Forum

The advent of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight brought into focus a long felt need - to bring together the national and International NGOs working for eye care in India. The purpose of bringing them together is for better coordination, sharing of information/resources and effective collaboration to achieve the goals of VISION 2020. This initiative was discussed in a four-day workshop held in Hyderabad from 27 - 30 January 2003. This workshop was attended by representatives from the international nongovernmental organisations, the World Health Organization, the Indian Government, WHO Collaborating Centers and a few individual NGOs nominated by their supporting agencies.

Participants resolved to take the idea of collaboration forward by establishing a formal organisation, the “VISION 2020: The Right to Sight” India Forum. In order to take this forward a steering committee was formed with a mandate to set up the organisation structure, membership guidelines, rules and regulations, and to incorporate it under an appropriate act in India. Suggestions for immediate activities included mapping eye care resources, developing a framework for resource management, and monitoring eye care activities.

The steering committee has had 3 meetings so far. The members include Mrs. Alice Crasto - Sight Savers International, John Tressler - Christoffel Blindenmission, Dr. G.V.Rao - Orbis, Dr C.S. Shetty - Lions International, Dr. G.N. Rao - LVPEI, Mr. R.D. Thulasiraj - Aravind Eye Hospitals, Dr. H.K. Tiwari - R P Centre, Dr. Bachani - Ministry of Health, and Dr. M. Upadhyay - WHO.

Planned activities of the VISION2020 India Forum:

  1. Advocacy

  2. Mapping

  3. Development of a framework for monitoring

  4. Alignment of eye care programs to VISION 2020 objectives

  5. Developing new programme initiatives

  6. Creating a framework for resource management.

The following organisations are founder-members of the Forum

  1. CBM International

  2. Sight Savers International

  3. Orbis International

  4. Fred Hollows Foundation

  5. Operation Eyesight Universal

  6. Seva Foundation

  7. Lions Cub International (LCIF)

  8. International Centre for Eyecare Education (ICEE)

  9. Aravind Eye Care System

  10. L.V. Prasad Eye Institute

The following organisations are also being requested to become founder members:

  1. Dr. R. P. Centre, Delhi

  2. Helpage India, Delhi

  3. International Eye Foundation, USA.

The Forum is in the process of being registered as a Society in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, where the office will be located initially.