In order to reach out to every one for eye care services, BICO took an initiative to visit all the health centers around Blantyre to offer eye services to the less privileged. Many had the opportunity to get their eyes tested and got their eye glasses at an affordable price. BICO also visited different dominations to offer free eye screening.
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 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.
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 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.
i am very happy, now i have my sight back, thanks to BICO" #Child Blindness Project Right to Sight for all.
BICO is currently implementing the #Deworm3 study sample collection in Namwera. Enumerators are expected to collect over 20,000 samples from individuals in both the intervention and control clusters. #eliminatingSTH
BICO with support from the OUI Inc in Japan is giving free glasses to all the Needy across it's clinics in Malawi (Blantyre, Zomba, Mangochi and Mzuzu). #Giving is not just about making a donation, it is about making a difference!
As part of the 2019 Deworm3 activities, Mass drug administration was conducted immediately after Census Update (CE2). This is a bi-annual activity involving the distribution of drugs to residents within the study area. Drugs are given out in the intervention arm of the study while the control arm is left untreated so as to compare the findings from both arms of the study at a later stage.