Eye Screening
JDC Eshel (an association for the elderly care in Israel) in partnership with Project Vision initiated a visual screening pilot study in Odessa, Ukraine in November 2004. This program continues to be a success, as it was the first study of its kind in the former Soviet Union, and should positively impact the Jewish and general populations.

The clinic in Odessa has continued this program and has outcomes for over 2200 screened, over 1400 of which have been referred for further evaluation. Furthermore, the eye screening program has now been extended to children at the orphanage and teenagers in the Jewish day school. The pilot has done so well in Odessa that the Hesed (social welfare center) staff in Kiev has approved the implementation of the program there.

Odessa volunteers, which have increased in number since inception, have agreed to come to Kiev to assist in training the new volunteers there. Recently, along with the Chicago Federation, JHI/Project Vision went back to Kiev in order to evaluate the eye program there in Hospital #2. The hospital is upgrading its department and the Hesed has begun referring clients to them. We plan on initiating the visual program there next spring.

We hope to be able to expand to other sites after we develop collaborating partnerships with the eye departments and hospitals in Kiev. Evaluation of the low vision clinics will also be done in both sites.