International Resources for the Improvement of Sight
Encyclopedia
International Resources for the Improvement of Sight is a small, independent, charity
, founded in 1996 by Michele Claudel and John Stewart. It specializes in prevention of blindness
and restoration of sight
. The organization's name is commonly abbreviated IRIS, but later also IRIS ASIA as a result of the organization's geographical focus (see below).
. Over the years, financial support has been extended to eye care development programs in Nepal
, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka
and to programs administered by other charities in Northern India
and border camps in Thailand
. The organization is a part of VISION 2020
, a global initiative of the World Health Organization
(WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), for the elimination of avoidable blindness. IRIS also partners with the "Teaching Eye Surgery Foundation".
, the United Kingdom
, France
and the United States
. The organization employs (2009) five permanent staff (chief executive, finance officer, program manager, program officer, ophthalmic nurse). IRIS programs are partly funded by institutions and private donations. Dark & Light Blind Care (the Netherlands), Kadoorie Charitable Foundations (Hong Kong), Pro Victimis Foundation, Frères des nos Frères and the Parthenon Trust, all based in Switzerland, are some examples of major institutional donors (2006-2009).
. In Nepal, IRIS supports cataract and other surgeries carried out by the IRIS-Nepal Micro Surgical Mobile Eye Camp Project in remote areas. In 2005, IRIS opened an eye clinic in the Lao PDR's Xaignbouri province. The same year the organization ran a campaign to raise awareness of eye care issues amongst secondary school
children and their families in Vientiane
and donated a second-hand ambulance which was converted into a mobile unit and is used to perform outreach cataract surgery in remote areas. In Sri Lanka, IRIS equips new eye clinics and strengthens existing ones, provides primary eye care training for staff working on tea plantations, conducts eye screening, provides glasses free-of-charge and subsidises the cost of cataract surgery for poor people.
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, founded in 1996 by Michele Claudel and John Stewart. It specializes in prevention of blindness
Blindness
Blindness is the condition of lacking visual perception due to physiological or neurological factors.Various scales have been developed to describe the extent of vision loss and define blindness...
and restoration of sight
Visual perception
Visual perception is the ability to interpret information and surroundings from the effects of visible light reaching the eye. The resulting perception is also known as eyesight, sight, or vision...
. The organization's name is commonly abbreviated IRIS, but later also IRIS ASIA as a result of the organization's geographical focus (see below).
History
IRIS was established in response to eye care needs identified amongst the poor in CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. Over the years, financial support has been extended to eye care development programs in Nepal
Nepal
Nepal , officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked sovereign state located in South Asia. It is located in the Himalayas and bordered to the north by the People's Republic of China, and to the south, east, and west by the Republic of India...
, Lao PDR and Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
and to programs administered by other charities in Northern India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and border camps in Thailand
Thailand
Thailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
. The organization is a part of VISION 2020
International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness is a coordinating, umbrella organization to lead an international effort in mobilizing resources for blindness prevention activities. It was set up on January 1, 1975, by the late Sir John Wilson, the Founder President...
, a global initiative of the World Health Organization
World Health Organization
The World Health Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations that acts as a coordinating authority on international public health. Established on 7 April 1948, with headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, the agency inherited the mandate and resources of its predecessor, the Health...
(WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), for the elimination of avoidable blindness. IRIS also partners with the "Teaching Eye Surgery Foundation".
Organization
IRIS is registered as a charity in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The organization employs (2009) five permanent staff (chief executive, finance officer, program manager, program officer, ophthalmic nurse). IRIS programs are partly funded by institutions and private donations. Dark & Light Blind Care (the Netherlands), Kadoorie Charitable Foundations (Hong Kong), Pro Victimis Foundation, Frères des nos Frères and the Parthenon Trust, all based in Switzerland, are some examples of major institutional donors (2006-2009).
Operations
During the period 1996-2009, IRIS-funded programs have provided 196,000 people with eye examinations, given free spectacles to 24,500 people and restored the sight of 42,000 people, with cataracts or other blinding conditions. In Cambodia, IRIS funds the work of eye clinics in five provinces, stages regular eye camps in provinces that remain without eye care facilities and provide eye screening, refraction and surgery for cyclo drivers of Phnom PenhPhnom Penh
Phnom Penh is the capital and largest city of Cambodia. Located on the banks of the Mekong River, Phnom Penh has been the national capital since the French colonized Cambodia, and has grown to become the nation's center of economic and industrial activities, as well as the center of security,...
. In Nepal, IRIS supports cataract and other surgeries carried out by the IRIS-Nepal Micro Surgical Mobile Eye Camp Project in remote areas. In 2005, IRIS opened an eye clinic in the Lao PDR's Xaignbouri province. The same year the organization ran a campaign to raise awareness of eye care issues amongst secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
children and their families in Vientiane
Vientiane
-Geography:Vientiane is situated on a bend of the Mekong river, which forms the border with Thailand at this point.-Climate:Vientiane features a tropical wet and dry climate with a distinct monsoon season and a dry season. Vientiane’s dry season spans from November through March. April marks the...
and donated a second-hand ambulance which was converted into a mobile unit and is used to perform outreach cataract surgery in remote areas. In Sri Lanka, IRIS equips new eye clinics and strengthens existing ones, provides primary eye care training for staff working on tea plantations, conducts eye screening, provides glasses free-of-charge and subsidises the cost of cataract surgery for poor people.
See also
- International Agency for the Prevention of BlindnessInternational Agency for the Prevention of BlindnessThe International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness is a coordinating, umbrella organization to lead an international effort in mobilizing resources for blindness prevention activities. It was set up on January 1, 1975, by the late Sir John Wilson, the Founder President...
- International Council of OphthalmologyInternational Council of Ophthalmology- International Council of Ophthalmology :The International Council of Ophthalmology represents and serves professional associations of ophthalmologists throughout the world. The Board of Trustees of the International Council of Ophthalmology is the executive body and operational arm of the ICO.-...