Public Health Education
Education underpins all ICEE programmes in Australia, Africa and the Asia-Pacific region. Only through education can we build local capacity, thereby creating sustainable solutions for addressing avoidable and preventable blindness. Over the past 10 years, ICEE-developed educational resources have been used to train eye care personnel in more than 30 countries across three continents. The education team recently identified the need for an updated, more comprehensive Refractive Error Training Package – aimed at providing eye health workers with the knowledge and skills necessary to perform accurate refractions and prescribe and provide appropriate spectacles.
Development of this new training package, which consists of resources for both teachers and students of refractive error, commenced in February 2008. Diagrams, pictures, flow charts and case studies are used to explain key concepts and procedures. Uncomplicated language is used throughout, to accommodate trainees from non-English speaking backgrounds, and to simplify translation into other languages.
To ensure that affordable and accurate spectacles are available in developing countries, ICEE has also developed a training course for spectacle technicians. Upon completion of this course, trainees have the knowledge and skills to take basic facial measurements, as well as fit and edge spectacles. This training course was conducted for the first time in Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia, in June 2008.
In addition, ICEE is currently in the process of developing a distance learning course for those spectacle technicians who wish to further their education and become fully qualified optical dispensers. The availability of these educational resources, combined with the establishment of appropriate infrastructure, will help create sustainable solutions for refractive error blindness and visual impairment.
There is close collaboration between the ICEE project and education teams at levels such as advocacy, project planning and development, community research, as well as the selection and recruitment of eye health personnel. Based on the LV Prasad Eye Institute selection criteria for Vision Technicians in India, an ICEE strategy for the recruitment and selection of suitable trainees to provide refractive error services was developed this year – which has proved to be very successful.
The development and implementation of locally relevant and culturally appropriate training programmes lie at the heart of most ICEE projects. For example, in April 2008, a refresher course in refraction was delivered to nurse refractionists in Cambodia. It was further planned that selected candidates would attend a train the-trainer course in July 2008. Upon successful completion of this training course, ICEE will assist these future teachers to conduct a complete refraction course in November 2008. In this way, ICEE is building Cambodia’s national capacity to deliver refractive services.
In Malawi, Southern Africa, an ICEE-developed multiple entry and exit model for optometry training will produce personnel with different levels of skills, which are much needed on the African continent. A great deal of work has been done by ICEE to establish this training programme, including logistical planning and the continuing development of training materials and curricula.
The 2007–2008 period also saw the development of culturally-appropriate training materials for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in the Australian Northern Territory, made possible through a Commonwealth Government National Eye Health Demonstration Grant.
This project exemplifies the ICEE education objectives which are aimed at developing the skills of Aboriginal Eye Health Coordinators and Aboriginal Health Workers and the capacity to deliver eye care services by, and within, the target communities.
Professional Education
In partnership with Vision CRC, ICEE has continued to develop and deliver a range of professional education courses, models and materials for effective training at all levels of the eye care profession and within industry, aimed at supporting and improving global eye care.
The professional education programmes developed by ICEE and Vision CRC, in conjunction with Essilor International, are having a particular impact throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Practitioners are taught how to prescribe and fit advanced-design ophthalmic lenses for the future benefit of thousands of presbyopes who require vision correction. This past year saw the training of 1 207 practitioners in 16 cities throughout Indonesia, India, China, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
Training programmes and teaching resources were also provided to 137 educators in Australia, China, India, South Africa, Nigeria, Taiwan and Indonesia to enhance the teaching effectiveness in 32 undergraduate teaching institutions, which graduated about 1 280 new eye care practitioners.
In addition, 16 industry and education institution staff members from India, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Thailand, Korea Singapore, Indonesia, Australia, and New Zealand were certified by ICEE educators to conduct licensed versions of the Varilux® Academy education programmes. During this year 9 498 local practitioners were trained by the certified presenters to prescribe advanced spectacle lens technology.
ICEE aims to enable and empower ophthalmic practitioners, educators, students and industry representatives to achieve their potential. The professional education team provides industryready graduates and skilled clinical practitioners who have sound clinical abilities, while also enhancing the status and profile of vision care within the professional community.
Vision Centre Management Training
To enhance the success of the Vision Centre Model and to complement established refraction and spectacle technician courses, ICEE developed a Vision Centre Management Training Programme. The programme is aimed at personnel who manage day-to-day functions of an ICEE Vision Centre.
ICEE Vision Centre staff are taught necessary operational, administrative and financial management processes and systems as well as given operational tools and templates.
ICEE Vision Centre Management Training is tailored to suit country needs whilst maintaining proper governance and processes to increase sustainability.
The programme has been implemented in ICEE projects in Papua New Guinea, Cambodia, Sri Lanka, Zambia, and South Africa.
