Jeddah, 16.11.2014 : His Royal Highness Prince Abdul Aziz Bin Ahmad Bin Abdul Aziz Al Saud, Chairman of the Prevention of Blindness Union and the President of the Islamic Development Bank, Dr. Ahmad Mohamed Ali, signed today at the IDB Headquarters an MoU on eye care and blindness prevention.
The MoU is a part the IDB’s efforts to form a multilateral alliance against visual impairment in its member countries. This MoU is designed to provide over 20,000 children and adults with eye care over a three-year period in countries of Sub-Saharan Africa. Efforts will also be made to build the capacity of technicians, nurses and physicians concerned with eye care in IDB member countries.
The Sub – Saharan African countries will also be provided with equipment and assistance for eye care centers.
It is worth mentioning that IDB paid great attention since its inception to improve healthcare sector in its member countries and Muslim communities in non-member countries. It is in 2008 that IDB launched its initiative for combating blindness in member countries, conducting more than 45000 cataract operations, in cooperation with Nadi Albassar of Tunisia, Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa (BADEA) and Arab Medical Union. IDB also offered capacity building in the field of combating
blindness in the Sub - Saharan African countries.