VOSH IN LATIN AMERICA

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VOSH IN LATIN AMERICA
Nelson Rivera, OD Vice President, VOSH
International
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(No Transcript)
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ALDOO/CLOO Asociacion Latinoamericana de Opticos
y Optometristas Equivalent of AOA in Latin
America Asociacion Latinoamericana de Programas
y Facultades Optometria Equivalent of ASCO In
Latin America ALDEFO Over 20 Countries
represented
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ALDOO/CLOO Makes sense to team up with Groups
which oversee Optometry In Latin America A lot of
lobbying going on Perhaps similar to what
Optometry was in the USA in the 1960s-70s
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ALDOO/CLOO Currently, working to create
awareness with the population in
general Ophthalmologists Resistance to advances
in Optometry But that is changing.
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ALDOO/CLOO Countries with Optometry laws/acts in
the books. Panama Guatemala Colombia Ecuador Costa
Rica Mexico
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ALDOO/CLOO Countries actively lobbying for
creation of Optometry laws Argentina Peru
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Helping Latin America Some issues 1.
The NEED for help 2. The available
resources -Number of Optometrists
locally -General Infrastructure
-Cooperation of local
authorities
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MEXICO

• Capital City Mexico CityArea1,958,200 sq
  km/756,061 sq miles Population 101,000,000
• Per Capita Income US7,310.00
• Number of Optometrists 500
• Number of technically trained 12,000

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MEXICO

• Missions 2006
• San Cristobal (VOSH VA)
• Etzanlan( VOSH WI)
• San Carlos (VOSH MI)
• Sta.Maria Oro (VOSH Sta.Cruz)
• Baja (VOSH IL)
• Colima (VOSH CO)
• Sonora (VOSH AZ)
• Oaxaca (VOSH IA)

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MEXICO

• Schools of Optometry (4)
• UNAM- Mexico City
• IPC CICS-Mexico City
• IPN- Milpa Alta
• Aguascalientes

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COSTA RICA

• Capital City San JoseArea 51,100 sq
  km/19,730 sq miles Population 4,100,000
• Number of Optometrists/Opticians 300
• Only 350 University Trained
• 50 Empirically trained

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COSTA RICA

• Optometry School
• Universidad Latina
• 4 year Optometry Program
• 2 yrs Optician/4 yrs Optometry

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NICARAGUA

• Capital City ManaguaArea 129,494 sq km/49,998
  sq miles
• Population 5,200,000
• Per Capita Income US910.00
• Number of Optometrists/Opticians 115
• Only 15 with University training
• 35 Empirically Trained
• 65 technical school trained
• No Optometry schools.

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NICARAGUA

• VERAS PROJECT
• Cooperation VOSH, UNESCO
• Also Local Health Education Depts
• Screening Children Ages 4-7
• Pilot Project in Granada Dept
• 178 schools
• Over 5000 children screened
• Eyeglasses given to about 105
• Examined about 400

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NICARAGUA

• Missions 2006
• San Juan del Sur (VOSH CT)
• Corn Islands (VOSH NECO)
• Nandasmo (VOSH NE)
• Granada/VERAS (VOSH Intl)
• Matagalpa/Esteli (VOSH FL)
• Cardenas (VOSH NEWENCO)
• Rivas (VOSH KY)
• Chinandega (VOSH FL)

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HONDURAS

• Capital City TegucigalpaArea112,090 sq
  km/43,278 sq miles Population 6,700,000
• Per Capita Income US1190.00
• Number of Optometrists/Opticians 100
• Only 30 with University Training
• 70 Empirically trained

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HONDURAS

• Missions 2006
• San Pedro Sula (VOSH IN)
• Tela (VOSH IN)
• Tocoa (VOSH KY)
• Roatan (SVOSH UAB)

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GUATEMALA

• Capital City Guatemala CityArea 108,890 sq
  km/42,042 sq miles Population 13,900,000
• Per Capita Income US2,450.00
• Number of Optometrists/Opticians 330
• Only 70 with University Training
• 135 with Technical training
• 125 Empirically trained

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GUATEMALA

• Missions 2006
• Guatemala (VOSH PA)
• Guatemala (VOSH OR)
• Jalpatagua (VOSH ON)
• Camanchaj (VOSH MI)
• Sayache (VOSH PA)

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EL SALVADOR

• Capital City San SalvadorArea 21,040 sq
  km/8,124 sq miles Population 6,500,000
• Per Capita Income US2,450.00
• Number of Optometrists/Opticians 165
• Only 15 with University Training
• 150 with Technical Training
• some empirically trained

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EL SALVADOR

• Missions 2006
• Sta Ana/San Miguel(VOSHNECO)
• Apopa/Suchitoto (VOSH NECO)
• San Salvador (SVOSHNSUCO)
• San Salvador (VOSH CA)
• FUDEM- Permanent Clinic

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ECUADOR

• Capital City Quito
• Area 283,520 sq km/109,467 sq miles Population
  12,000,000
• Per Capita IncomeUS2,630.00
• Number of Optometrists 280
• Number with Technical Training 320

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ECUADOR

• Missions 2006
• El Floron (VOSH OH)
• Guayaquil (VOSH Sta Cruz)
• Nabon (VOSH OR)
• Porto Viejo (VOSH MN)

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ECUADOR

• VOSH (University of Guayaquil) Ecuador
• New Chapter
• 7 Optometry schools in Ecuador
• Good possibility to create permanent clinic at
  Univ of Guayaquil Hospital staffed by local ODs

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ECUADOR

• Ecuador July 15-21, 2006
• VOSH Santa Cruz (Quebec)
• Univ of Guayaquil University Hospital
• Guayaquil Rotary Club
• 2900 Patients seen in 6 days.
• Late September, rotary saw another 1134 patients
  in 3 days.

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PERU

• Capital City LimaArea 1,285,215 sq km/496,222
  sq miles Population 27,219,264
• Per Capita Income US2,610.00
• Number of Optometrists 50
• Number of technically trained 400
• Number of Opticians 700

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PERU

• Missions to Peru 2006
• Abancay, Peru (VOSH NE)
• Coya, Peru (VOSH MI)
• Carjamarca Peru (VOSH IL)
• Manchay (VOSH SOS)

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PERU

• VOSH SOS Eurohispano
• Local VOSH Chapter
• Works in conjunction with the Rimac Rotary (Lima)
• Very active chapter
• 7 missions 3000 pts seen in 2006

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PARAGUAY

• Capital City AsunciónArea 407,000 sq
  km/157,143 sq miles Population 5,585,828
• Per Capita Income US1,280.00

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PARAGUAY

• Missions 2006
• Asuncion (VOSH KY)

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Bolivia

• Capital City Sucre(govt center)
• Largest City La PazArea 1,098,580 sq
  km/424,162 sq miles Population 8,800,000
• Per Capita Income US1,100.

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Bolivia

• Several technical Optician/Optometry Programs
• In Santa Cruz (Eastern Bolivia)
• In La Paz (2nd Capital)
• Univ. Filadelfia-ONLY Certified school at this
  time

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ARGENTINA

• Capital City Buenos AiresArea 2,776,890 sq
  km/1,072,157 sq miles Population 37,812,817
• Per Capita Income US4470
• Number of Optometrists400
• 236 practicing/164 pending certification
• Number of Opticians 5000

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ARGENTINA

• A few Optometry Programs
• Universidad de Buenos Aires
• Universidad Nacional de La Plata
• Program runs 4 yrs.First 2 yrs Optician
• Last 2 yrs Optometry program

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Helping Latin America A FEW
OBSERVATIONS..
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Helping Latin America Countries with
greatest resources 1.Costa Rica 2.Mexico 3.Ecuado
r 4. Argentina 5. Peru
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Helping Latin America Costa Rica currently
does not allow Many missions in their
country Mexico does. VOSH gets requests For
VOSH missions all the time.
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Helping Latin America Guatemala is good.
VOSH PA has a permanent clinic there. Some of the
rural indigenous Populations underserved. Nicaragu
a has lots of need. Very little infrastructure
so Not much local support.
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Helping Latin America HondurasCouple
permanent clinics there including VOSH IN in San
Pedro Sula. Country also has a lot of need Second
only to Nicaragua In Central America

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Helping Latin America Peru is a good
country for Missions but stringent
customs Regulations are an issue. Ecuador is an
excellent place to set up missions. There is
need and also good Local support
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Helping Latin America Argentina will be
good. There are very large segments of people
underserved in this large populous country

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Helping Latin America Bolivia shows some
promise as good mission destination. And it is
probably the neediest country in all of South
America. Paraguay is second.
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Helping Latin America It is a large and
populated area Spanish spoken (except
Brazil) Shorter travel time for volunteer Minimal
Jet Lag Overall decent infrastructure

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Helping Latin America Key Issues -Trying to
help the neediest -Empower/train locals
provide services to locals year round -In NO WAY
do we want to interfere with private Optical
businesses.
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Helping Latin America FIN