Skip to main content

  • Sharing Educational Resources to Better Serve Patients Throughout the World

    Rotary Club Host Project guests at AAO 2015 enjoyed tours of the exhibit hall and demonstrations of Academy resources, including the invaluable ONE Network.

    The Academy actively prevents worldwide blindness alongside the greater global ophthalmology community. Through its Global Outreach programs, the Academy equips colleagues in developing nations who have limited educational resources. This collaboration ensures that patients throughout the world have access to quality eye care with support provided by the Academy Foundation.

    Each year, the Academy provides hundreds of educational materials to ophthalmology residency programs in developing countries. In 2015, the Education Distribution Project provided 155 full sets of the 13-volume Basic and Clinical Science Course; 125 of these were sent in partnership with the International Council of Ophthalmology. The project also distributed 312 bags of assorted books and DVDs to international attendees from developing countries at AAO 2015.

    Through the Host an Ophthalmologist Program and the Rotary Club Host Project, the Academy helps ophthalmologists from developing nations visit the United States and participate in the Academy’s annual meeting. These opportunities provide invaluable educational, professional and cultural experiences. Last year, the programs brought 31 ophthalmologists to AAO 2015, where they learned new skills and techniques. In turn, these participants were able to later share what they learned with their colleagues at home. To date, the Rotary Club Host Project has partnered with 29 Rotary Clubs to host 105 guests from 56 countries.

    The Academy makes the ONE Network available globally through partnerships with ophthalmic societies and to ophthalmologists in developing nations. Last year, the Academy granted ONE Network access to 35,427 ophthalmologists in 51 developing countries, allowing them to access the most current news and high-tech clinical education resources, plus Summary Benchmarks in 15 languages.