Orange Foundation to help people with eye disease

Bruno Duthoit, Orange Armenia CEO and Chairman of the Orange Armenia Foundation board, said: “We join this project with great joy because it really changes peoples’ lives. People with eye disease are at the center of Orange Foundation’s attention not only in Armenia, but also in other countries where the Foundation works. The first mission of our company is to ease communication between people and sight is a vital component of human communication. Today, a partnership is beginning which will allow people of all ages to see the light again, and a larger number of people will get medical support to prevent such diseases in the future,” the Orange press service reports.

The Orange Foundation has allotted 9mln AMD to support the project in Shirak marz. This will allow, based on preliminary estimates, to realize screenings of 3,000 adults and 1,200 children, conduct around 250 surgeries and laser treatment, as well as provide around 1,200 glasses.

Roger Ohanessian, Founding president of Armenian Eye Care Project said: “During the two last decades the Armenian Eye Care Project has implemented its work mainly thanks to Armenian Diaspora and different international organizations fundings. Now we are happy to have a corporate partner having strong positions in Armenia. With this major contribution Orange Foundation will considerably support AECP and the beneficiaries of the project accordingly. We are pleased to see such a good example of corporate philanthropy in Armenia.”

AECP has also planned to involve local ophthalmologists in the screenings, who will assist in finding people who need treatment or glasses.

Starting from August 16, groups of ophthalmologists will visit two cities and 44 villages of Shirak marz, in the regions of Ani, Artik, Akhurian, Ashotsq and Amasia. Then the mobile eye hospital of AECP will stop in three regional centers: Maralik, Artik and Akhurian, where people identified during the screenings will receive the necessary treatment, including surgeries and laser treatments. The exact agenda of visits will be published additionally.

As part of the project, nine schools of Shirak region will also host classes on eye care for children.