LV Prasad Eye Institute Redesignated WHO Collaborating Centre Till 2030
Hyderabad, July 9 (TNT): The World Health Organization (WHO) has redesignated the L.V. Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) as a WHO Collaborating Centre for the Prevention of Blindness for another four years, extending the recognition till 2030.
LVPEI, which first received the designation in 2001, is among 11 eye care institutions worldwide designated by the WHO Director-General to support the global body’s programmes on eye care and blindness prevention.
The redesignation recognises its continued contribution to strengthening global efforts to reduce avoidable blindness and improve access to integrated, people-centred eye care, the Institute said in a release here on Thursday.
According to the WHO, nearly 2.2 billion people worldwide live with some form of vision impairment, of whom about one billion have not received the eye care they require. The burden is particularly high in low- and middle-income countries.
As a WHO Collaborating Centre, LVPEI will provide technical and operational support to the WHO in advancing universal health coverage through evidence-based eye care, public health research, workforce training and the development of clinical and public health guidelines.
The institute said its experience in delivering eye care services to rural and underserved communities through its pyramidal network would contribute to expanding access to quality eye care.
LVPEI Founder-Chair Dr. Gullapalli N. Rao said the redesignation reflects over two decades of collaboration with the WHO in advancing public health eye care and carries both recognition and responsibility.
Network Director (Public Health) Dr. Rohit Khanna said the renewed designation includes a detailed four-year work plan and technical support for the WHO’s global eye care strategy, with a focus on achieving universal access to eye care.
WHO Collaborating Centres are institutions designated by the WHO Director-General to support the organisation’s programmes through research, training, technical expertise and capacity building in priority areas of public health.
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