World Sight Day Commemoration: BICO Promotes Eye Health Awareness and Offers Discounts on Eye Glasses

As part of the World Sight Day celebrations, BICO visited several schools in Blantyre to raise awareness among children about the importance of eye health and how to care for their eyes. A dedicated team of optometrists led interactive sessions, teaching learners simple practices for maintaining good eye health. Students who required eye screenings were referred to BICO clinics for free eye tests. Additionally, BICO is offering a special promotion: children aged 6-17 years needing eye glasses will receive a 50% discount, while adults aged 18 and above will receive a 30% discount on their total charges. This promotion runs from September until October 12, 2024.

BICO ESCRS PROJECT

  In 2023, BICO has been supporting refresher trainings conducted by Ophthalmogists from Zomba, Nkhoma and Mzuzu hospitals. This was done after discovering that cataract surgeons have been practicing without being supervised by zonal Ophthalmologists and that almost all did not attend refresher trainings as part of continued medical education. 

World Sight Day

 World Sight Day is celebrated every year on the second Thursday of October. This was established by the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) to raise awareness on blindness and visual impairments. 2023’s World Sight day was celebrated on October 12th under the theme “LOVE YOUR EYES AT WORK. BICO participated in the act by visiting different institutions and organizations to offer free eye checkup.  

CWW, BICO and MoH Meeting

  As part of collaborative arrangements to end Neglected Tropical Diseases by 2020, Children Without Worms (CWW), a program of the Task Force for Global Health, Atlanta, USA in collaboration with the Blantyre Institute for Community Outreach (BICO), is looking to partner with the Malawi Ministry of Health Neglected Tropical Disease Program and other implementing partners to provide Financial and Technical support to their Soil-Transmitted Helminthiasis (STH) control program from 2023 onwards. For this reason, CWW and BICO held a one-day engagement meeting with MOH Neglected diseases program managers and supporting partners at BICO offices in Blantyre on Tuesday 1st August 2023. The aim was to identify gaps for STH control, which can be supported by CWW.

BICO’S EXHIBITION – TRADE FAIR GROUNDS

BICO organized a free eye checkup camp at the trade fair grounds in Blantyre. The fair was scheduled from 16th through 23rd May 2023. The residents of Blantyre and the surrounding areas witnessed the noble gesture of BICO’s free eye checkup. The camp was organized as a generous commitment of BICO to making sure that everyone enjoys their right to sight.