Community eye care 10 years after Alma Ata: progress, problems, and priorities for private voluntary organizations in developing nations

Abstract

The 1978 International Conference on Primary Health Care held in Alma Ata, USSR, made a strong appeal for recognizing that blindness is avoidable. Most blindness can be cured by medical and surgical means, or prevented by public health measures. Now, 10 years later, it is appropriate to review and evaluate a decade of primary eye care. This article describes and reviews from a managerial perspective at three levels of intervention a community eye care program for Afghan refugees established in 1982 by the League of Red Cross in Pakistan. Factors for success and problems are analyzed, and priorities for the future are suggested.