Country Snap Shot & Eyecare Profile
	Country Cambodia Region South East Asia Capital Phnom Penh Area (sq/km) 181,040 Geography Provinces / Districts 20 provinces, 4 municipalities *Population 13,881,427 *Population Below Poverty Line 40.0% *Infant Mortality/1000 births 68.78 *GDP Per Capita ($US) $2,200 Schools of Optometry Cambodian Optometry Association Course Optometrists 14 (Optometry Technicians) Opticians 0 Ophthalmologists 0 Eye Health Workers 0 Optometrist Association Yes Vision 2020 Signatory  Yes Vision 2020 National Plan Yes National Eyecare Health Plan Yes

Project Manager 

Project Personnel

Project Aim
To analyse and review the refractive error services in Cambodia.

Project Commencement
2004

Project Background/History
Cambodia has a population of nearly 14 million and is situated in the South East Asian Mekong region, bordered by Vietnam, Laos and Thailand. Approximately 85% of Cambodia’s population lives in rural areas.

With a blindness prevalence rate of 1.2%, an estimated 144,000 people are blind in Cambodia. The main causes of blindness are refractive error (the need for glasses), cataract, glaucoma, corneal scar and pterygium; 80-90% of all blindness in Cambodia is preventable.

Uncorrected refractive error accounts for approximately 10% of blindness. This is a reflection of the country’s poor availability of refraction services and affordable spectacles. Only six of Cambodia’s twenty-two provinces have permanent refraction services with trained refraction personnel. With over 80% of Cambodians living in rural areas, much of the population relies on infrequent provincial screening programs as their only access to refraction and spectacle provision.

The Cambodian Optometrists Association (COA) has been primarily responsible for delivering refraction training and provincial refractive error screening in the past. The need for COA to receive further training, skills development, professional mentoring, and systems strengthening was identified to enable COA to contribute to the development of refraction services as outlined in the Cambodian National Eye Care Plan.  ICEE’s involvement is aimed at helping the COA to address this need.

Project Activities
In 2004, ICEE, in partnership with Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI), sponsored a 6 month position for an Australian optometrist and ICEE Optometry Committee Volunteer to undertake a technical advisory role to the Prevention of Blindness (PBL) Committee and the COA in Phnom Penh.

The refraction services and spectacle supply systems available in Cambodia were assessed.  ICEE worked with major stakeholders to develop strategies and implementation plans to address uncorrected refractive error as a cause of blindness in Cambodia. This included human resource development (training) and the assessment of the constraints to the effective distribution of affordable spectacles.

Project Achievements
As a result of the ICEE/COA collaboration, the COA is now well placed to continue their role as trainers of refraction within Cambodia and play an essential role in the development of refractionist human resources as outlined in the National Eyecare Plan.

Project Partners
Cambodian Optometrists Association
Christian Blind Mission International, Australia
PBL Committee, Cambodia
Disability Action Council of Cambodia

Project Sponsors

	Personal Story
	Horm Piseth from the Cambodian Optometrists Association was particularly motivated by the partnership. “This is a great assistance of ICEE to develop and provide technical refraction service to Cambodian personnel.”