Community Eye Health J Indian Supplement 2008;21(65): s106

VISION 2020: The Right to Sight - India - Activites (January - March 2008)

The Board identified six strategic thrust areas (Advocacy, Policy and Program development, Quality in Eye Care, Resource Mobilization, Resource Centre and Organizational Development) and constituted working groups to pursuing this as the main activities of VISION 2020: the Right to Sight - India.

Strategic Areas

1. Advocacy

Team Leader Board: Dr GN Rao
Coordinator: Ms. Tanuja Joshi
Other Team Members: Dr Bhushan Punani, Dr S Natarajan

2. Policy and Program Development

Team Leader Board: Dr Chandrashekhar Shetty
Coordinator: Ms. Elizabeth Kurian
Other Team Members: Dr Pararajasegaran, Col (Dr) M Deshpande, Dr BR Shamanna

3. Quality in Eye Care

Team Leader Board: Dr Nelson Jesudason
Coordinator: Dr Sara Varughese
Other Team Members: Dr Ashok Rangarajan, Mr. R. Krishna Kumar, Dr M. Srinivas

4. Resource Mobilization

Team Leader Board & Coordinator: Mr NP Pandya
Other Team Members: Mr Veera Rao, Mrs K. Manimala, Smt. Hema Malini

5. Resource Centre

Team Leader Board & Coordinator: Dr Asim Sil
Other Team Members: Dr GVS Murthy, Dr AK Grover, Dr S Ghose, Mr. Kirubanithi, Dr TP Das

6. Organizational Development

Team Leader Board & Coordinator: Dr GV Rao, Mrs Lalitha Raghuram
Other Team Members: Dr Rajesh Noah

The website (www.vision2020india.org) was updated and the membership database currently has 65 founding, institutional, associate and industry members from all states in India The Annual General Body Meeting and Elections is scheduled for July 10th and 11th at Jodhpur. As per the MOA of our Organization, only active member institutions, i.e., institutions that have paid their annual subscriptions will be eligible to contest elections and vote.

Activities planned for the next quarter:

Vision 2020 India is working with

the LCIF to have a workshop on May 19th for the NGOS, INGOS and Govt. Officials looking after Blindness Prevention activities in Eastern India.
the NPCB Team is to conduct a 2 day workshop in June to review the (1) Guidelines for the District Blindness Control Society and (2) The Scheme for Participation of Voluntary Organizations.

Dr. Rajesh Noah is the new executive director of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight India. Rajesh took over charge from 1st February, 2008. He is a medical doctor with training in Public Health and has been working in this field for more than 20 years in organizations such as Plan International, Christian Medical Association of India (CMAI), Urban Health Resource Centre (UHRC), Danida and Aga Khan Health Services (AKHS).

His rich experience in the development sector supplemented with program management skills will provide further impetus to the programmatic initiatives and provide the desired momentum to the growth of this national forum.