|
The Organisation for the Prevention of Blindness (French: l’Organisation pour la Prévention de la Cécité, OPC) is an international non-governmental organisation (INGO) whose actions today focus exclusively on French-speaking countries in West Africa. Their mission is to preserve and restore sight amongst some of the most under-privileged communities in the region. The OPC's principal actions concern blindness prevention, treatment and the elimination of blinding diseases, such as onchocerciasis, trachoma, glaucoma and cataracts as well as formal ophthalmological training. == History == The OPC was founded on January 13, 1978 by Christian Monnier. Retired from the banking industry, he decided to work with Professor André Dubois-Poulsen, who was the head of department of the XV-XX Hospital and President of the French Ophthalmological Society and Pierre Aubé, an ex-financial advisor. Professor Dubois-Poulsen presided over the OPC Board of Directors for eight years and organised its first projects in Africa, notably the Yeleen Program in Mali. Thanks to this project, the OPC became a member of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)〔http://www.iapb.org/member/organisation-pour-la-pr%C3%A9vention-de-la-c%C3%A9cit%C3%A9-opc〕 Over the years, the OPC has greatly increased its number of missions, creating primary eye care networks, and supporting the African Institute of Tropical Ophthalmology (IOTA).〔http://www.iotaoccge.org/par.html〕 Then, under the presidency of Professor Jean Langlois, the ex-Head of department of the CHU of Rouen, and thanks to Dr. Marcel Chauvet, the medical Inspector General, onchocerciasis, or “river blindness”, control in Africa was elevated to high priority. Onchocerciasis control is still being carried out in conjunction with other NGOs and the World Health Organisation. Links were also established with the Ministry of Cooperation and Development. During this period of the OPC’s history, a program to create an ophthalmological service in at GRALL Pediatric Hospital in Saigon (Vietnam) was successfully lead for five years.〔http://www.anai-asso.org/NET/document/loeuvre_de_la_france/loeuvre_de_la_france/enseignement_sante_action_sociale/hopital_grall/index.htm〕 In 1997, Professor Langlois became Honorary President, giving the position of President to Professor Yves Pouliquen,〔http://www.academie-francaise.fr/les-immortels/yves-pouliquen〕 ex-Head of the Ophthalmological Department of l’Hôtel-Dieu in Paris, member of the Academy Française from 2001, and member of the French National Academy of Medicine and the International Academy of Ophthalmology. From 1997, Professor Pouliquen reinforced the importance of onchocerciasis and trachoma control in West Africa with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. They also developed technical support for the treatment of cataracts. Dr Dominique Négrel, Executive Director of the OPC, expert in ophthalmological public health and in the implementation of eye care structures, contributed greatly to the OPC’s involvement in training health workers in ophthalmology. Additionally, the OPC implemented a support plan to help combat age-related macular degeneration (ARMD) by providing several centres with powerful diagnostic materials integrated into the resources. This plan was lead forward by OPC Vice-President Professor Christian Corbé, medical Inspector General and founding President of the Representative Association of Low-Vision Initiatives,〔http://www.academie-air-espace.com/mship/newdetail.php?varMbre=832〕 Dr. Jean-François Ceccon, ophthalmologist, administrator and ex-Chief Programs Officer of the OPC, and Denis Brillard, OPC administrator and Director of the Welcome centre and Head of the rehabilitation for the blind in Nîmes, ARAMAV. In 2006, the OPC debuted a prevention program for diabetic retinopathy in collaboration with the Valentin Haüy Association,〔http://www.avh.asso.fr/rubrics/association/association.php?langue=eng&〕 and the AP-HP (Public Hospitals’ Public Assistance) OPHDIAT network.〔http://lewebzine.aphp.fr/un-depistage-plus-performant-grace-au-reseau-ophdiat/〕 16 centres were equipped in the Paris region and in Province (the province). The same year, at the initiative of the OPC, a think-tank composed of 5 Parisian hospitals〔including Hôtel Dieu, Lariboisière, Pitié Salpêtrière, XVXX, Institution nationale des Invalides〕 participated in a network constitution project (WTF) concerning low vision in Île de France.〔 In 2010, after 12 years as OPC President, Professor Pouliquen gave the reins to Nathalie Brunet, a jurist and head of a French company that is a world leader in its field. The OPC developed its missions in French-speaking countries, mainly Africans ones, but also in Haiti and Moldova as well as in France. In 2011, Dr Serge Resknioff〔http://www.opc.asso.fr/?The-Board-of-Directors&lang=en〕 became President of the OPC. He is the former head of Prevention of Blindness and Deafness at the WHO and is involved in various organisations associated with blindness prevention. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Organisation for the Prevention of Blindness」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|