Abstract
The FIMA Save Vision (FSV) program, initiated in response to the Darfur crisis in 2004, has evolved into a
global effort to combat preventable blindness. Led by renowned ophthalmologists, the program has established eye care facilities and conducted training workshops across Africa and Asia. Notable achievements include the creation of eye hospitals in Sudan, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Somaliland, as well as the implementation of training programs for local medical personnel. The program has significantly improved access to eye care, reduced cataract surgery waiting times and trained numerous eye specialists, thereby enhancing healthcare infrastructure in underserved regions. FIMA Save Vision’s efforts have been recognized with prestigious awards and have inspired additional initiatives under the FIMA umbrella transformative power of international collaboration in addressing public health challenges.
Background:
The Darfur crisis of 2004 marked a pivotal moment for
global medical outreach, catalyzing the launch of the
FIMA Save Vision (FSV) program. During this crisis,
Dr. Aly Mishal, then president of the Federation of
Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA), held a crucial
meeting with the Sudanese government. When asked
how FIMA could assist with medical relief, the President
of Sudan emphasized the dire need for ophthalmologists,
saying: ‘Ophthalmologists! Ophthalmologists!! and
Ophthalmologists’. At that time, the crisis-affected
region of Darfur was divided into three areas:
Darfur North (Al-fashir): Population of 2 million, only
one eye surgeon.
Darfur South (Nyala): Population of 2 million, only one
eye surgeon.
Darfur West (Genina): Population of 2 million, no eye
surgeon.
Recognizing the severity of the situation, Dr. Mishal
conferred with Dr. Hafeez Ur Rahman, then General
Secretary of FIMA, and together they launched an
initiative to alleviate the suffering caused by visual
impairment in these conflict-ridden regions
Leadership from Inception to Present
Dr. Hafeez Ur Rahman: Founding Director FSV (2006
2012)
Dr. Intizar Hussain: Director FSV (2013-2016)
Dr. MisbahUl Aziz: Director FSV (2016-present)
First Steps in Darfur
In January 2005, the first free eye care camp was set up
in Alfashir, North Darfur. Led by Dr. Hafeez Ur Rahman
and Dr. Imran Azam Butt, the team successfully
performed 250 cataract surgeries.After a couple of weeks
another eye camp of 250 eye surgeries was conducted in
Alfashir,North Darfur.
Expanding Reach: Genena and Beyond
Encouraged by the results of the first two camps, a
thirdcamp was organized two months later, supported by
the Government of Sudan in collaboration with PIMA,
SIMA, Alkhidmat, and FIMA in Genena, West Darfur, a
region with no prior history of eye surgery and not a
single inch of metallic road connections. The local airport
had carcasses of crashed planes. Thepower supply was
only through generators.
Here, the team conducted 500cataract surgeries. Seeing
the backlog of cataract, another camp of 1005 cataract
surgeries was done in the same area after few months. At
the end of this second camp 1000 patients were still
awaiting treatment to which Sudanese government
responded by requesting the visiting team to stay
longer.This led to the establishment of first FIMA Eye
hospital in Genena.
Formation of FIMA Save Vision
In 2006, parallel eye camps wereconducted in Gadarif
and Kasala, Sudan, which marked a significant milestone
in the field of eye care in Africa. During this camp, a
team of doctors from five different countries Pakistan,
South Africa, Jordan, Egypt, and Bangladesh came
together to perform a total of 1,000 cataract surgeries.
This collaborative effort was instrumental in formalizing
the FIMA Save Vision programan initiative aimed at
addressing the widespread issue of cataract-induced
blindness in the region. Dr. Hafeez Ur Rahman (Ex-Gen
Secretary FIMA) of the Pakistan Islamic Medical
Association (PIMA) was the founding director of the
FIMA Save Vision program
FIMA Save Vision – Objectives
The primary objectives of the FIMA Save Vision
programare to:
1. Reducing the backlog of cataract by doing eye
surgeries through regular eye camps.
2. Establishing indigenous facilities with appropriate
equipment
3. Capacity building by training of local human
resource for continuous service delivery.
Decreasing backlog of cataract surgery:
Following successful implementation of the initial eye
camps in Alfashir, Genena, Gadarifand Kasla, the FIMA
Save Vision program garnered significant support and
sponsorships from the Sudanese government. This
support enabled the expansion of the program, leading to
dozens of additional eye camps across Sudan.
Expanding Global Reach
The FIMA Save Vision team extended its reach beyond
Sudan, establishing multiple cataract surgery camps in
various countries across Africa and Asia:
Africa: Sudan, Somalia, Nigeria, Niger, Somaliland,
Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Gambia, Cameroon,
Morocco, South Africa, Chad, Zimbabwe
Asia: Gaza (Palestine), Bangladesh, Maldives, Sri
Lanka, Indonesia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Syria.
Until now FIMA Save vision has conducted more than
950 eye camps in 22 countries. Around twenty-one
hundred thousand (2.1 million) patients were examined
in the OPD of these camps and more than three hundred
and fifty thousand patients under-went free of cost
cataract surgery with intraocular lens implantation.
IMAs Actively Involved in Prevention of Blindness in Africa and other Places
- Prevention of Blindness Trust (POB) Pakistan
Islamic Medical Association (PIMA)
SIMA (Sudanese Islamic Medical Association)
Doctors Worldwide Turkey
Islamic Medical Association of Zimbabwe
Islamic Medical Association of Kingdom of Saudi
Arabia
Islamic Medical Association of South Africa
Islamic Medical Association of Somalia
Horn of Africa Save Vision (Somaliland & Somalia)
Islamic Medical Association of Nigeria
Islamic Medical Association of Malaysia
Islamic Medical Association of Indonesia
Serendib Foundation of Sri Lanka
Partner Organization other than IMAs
- WAMY (World Assembly of Muslim Youth)
IICO – KSA
WHO-EMRO
MOH Sudan
Arab Medical Union
Manhal Charitable Organization
Alwaleed Bin Talal Foundation
Establishing indigenous facilities with appropriate equipment
FIMA Eye Hospital Genina – Sudan
The first eye hospital by FIMA Save Vision was
established in Genina, Sudan. The government renovated an old school building into a hospital and provided
paramedical staff. The eye care equipment was sent from
Pakistan, donated by PIMA. As there was no loc
consultant available in the region, Dr. Usman Saeed, a
consultant ophthalmologist from Pakistan, stayed for two
months to provide eye care and train a local doctor.
According to the latest report from this hospital, more
than 10,000 cataract surgeries have been performed there.
FIMA Eye Care Centre Puttalam – Sri Lanka
The FIMA Eye Care Centre in Puttalam, Sri Lanka, was
established in 2008 to address the region’s need for
specialized eye care services. Staffed by experienced
ophthalmologists and healthcare professionals, the centre
is dedicated to providing high-quality, compassionate
care. Known for its community outreach programs, the
FIMA Eye Care Centre plays a vital role in enhancing
eye health and vision for the local population. Thousands
of cataract and other ocular surgeries have been
performed to date.
FIMA-POB Eye Centre in PMC -Peshawar, Pakistan
FIMA and POB designated the ophthalmology
department of Kuwait Teaching Hospital, a relief hospital
affiliated with Peshawar Medical College, as its regional
center by sponsoring cataract surgeries for poor patients
Thousands of cataract surgeries have been performed at
this center.
Inspired by the success of the FIMA Save Vision
program, where the majority of ophthalmologists
providing voluntary services were from Pakistan, a
similar trust was established in Pakistan called the POB
Trust (Prevention of Blindness Trust). POB Trust, a
project of PIMA (a member IMA of FIMA), is chaired by
Dr. Misbahul Aziz (Director FSV). Apart from
participating in relief activities and conducting free eye
camps nationally and internationally in collaboration
with FIMA Save Vision, this trust has established four
state-of-the-art eye hospitals in Karachi and one in
Lahore. These hospitals provide free eye care services.
POB Eye Hospital in Karachi offers services in all
ophthalmology subspecialties, including Vitreo-Retina
Glaucoma, Oculoplastic, etc. It is also recognized by the
College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) for
a four-year fellowship training in Ophthalmology.
Vitreo-Retina and Oculoplastic Eye Surgical Unit in
Kabul – Afghanistan
Afghanistan lacked a single vitreo-retinal surgical setup,
forcing patients needing retinal surgeries to travel to
Pakistan or India, incurring significant expenses. Due to
its proximity to the Afghan border, the FIMA/POB Eye
Centre at Peshawar Medical College frequently received
many of these patients, offering surgeries at subsidized
rates or free of cost. However, travel expenses still
burdened the patients, and many could not afford them.
To address this issue, Afghanistan’s first-ever vitreo-
retinal surgical unit was established in 2022 at Al-Noor
Eye Hospital in Kabul. POB Trust and Alkhidmat
Foundation Pakistan sponsored this project by providing
the unit with the latest surgical microscope, phaco
machine, vitrectomy, and laser machines.
Vitreo-Retina and Oculoplastic Eye Surgical Unit.
Kabul Afghanistan
Advanced Ophthalmic Surgical Training Centre
Hargeisa – Somaliland
Somalia and Somaliland similarly lacked a vitreo-retinal
surgical setup, forcing patients to travel to neighboring
countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, or as far as India, which
involved significant expenses. To address this issue, an
advanced ophthalmic surgical training center was
established in 2023. A surgical microscope compatible
with retinal surgery was purchased from Pakistan and a
phaco-vitrectomy machine was acquired from
Switzerland through a Turkish vendor. Both machines
were installed at Manhal Specialty Hospital in Hargeisa.
To date, two Phaco Training and Oculoplastic surgical
camps have been organized, where local eye specialists
were trained in microsurgical techniques by visiting
consultants from Pakistan.
Postgraduate Diploma and Masters in Ophthalmology
Program at Hargeisa, Somaliland
In 2006, Somalia had only 3-4 eye surgeons for its 13
million people, severely limiting access to eye care. The
first cataract surgical camp conducted by FIMA Save
Vision in Mogadishu benefited around 500 patients, but it
became clear that temporary camps were insufficient for
long-term impact.
To address this, FIMA Save Vision, in collaboration with
WHO-EMRO, MOH Somaliland, and Manhal Charitable
Organization, launched an academic postgraduate
program at Manhal Specialty Hospital, University o
Hargeisa, in partnership with Peshawar Medical College
and Riphah International University Islamabad. The first
batch of six students was admitted in 2013. Dr. Aslam
Bhatti, a consultant ophthalmologist from Pakistan, was
appointed as a full-time professor. Regular visits by
external faculty from Pakistan ensured high-quality
training. The program was upgraded to master’s level in
2016.
To date, 24 eye surgeons have graduated with a Diploma,
and 5 surgeons have graduated from the Master’s
Program. They are providing ophthalmic services in
various parts of Somalia and Somaliland. Inspired by
their trainers’ teachings, they also conduct free eye camps
throughout the country and other regions of Africa under
the Horn of Africa Save Vision initiative. This has led to
a significant improvement in ophthalmological services
across Somalia, Somaliland, and the Horn of Africa.
Phaco, Vitreo-Retinal, and Oculoplastic Training
Program, Hargeisa – Somaliland
Keeping the significant impact of the Diploma and
Masters in Ophthalmology program on the eye care
services of Somalia and Somaliland in mind, Alkhidmat Foundation sponsored the equipment for establishing the
Advanced Ophthalmic Surgical Training Centre at
Manhal Specialty Hospital, Hargeisa. Three Oculoplastic
and Phaco surgical training camps were organized in
2023, two in Somaliland and one in Somalia.
Workshops for Doctors and Paramedics
Since its inception, FIMA Save Vision, in collaboration
with member IMAs, has conducted multiple workshops
in Africa, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Gaza. A short
summary of a selected few is mentioned below:
Workshop on Oculoplastic at Khartoum and
Genina: The first workshop was conducted in
December 2006. Prof. Dr. Imran Akram Sahaf and
Dr. Intizar Hussain trained local eye specialists in
diagnosing and managing a variety of difficult
oculoplastic cases.
Workshop for Doctors at Lagos and Katsina
Nigeria, June 2008
Workshop for Paramedics in Lagos and Katsina
Corneal Transplant Workshop in Sudan
workshop and free corneal transplant eye camp was
conducted in Sudan. Ten donor corneas were
provided from Sri Lanka through the help of Mr.
Rafiq, the administrator of Kuwait Hospital Puttalam,in collaboration with the Serendib Foundation. Prof.
Dr. Abdul Haye and Dr. Intizar Hussain trained local
doctors in two types of transplant procedures:
penetrating keratoplasty and DALK (deep anterior
lamellar keratoplasty).
Workshop for Eye Surgeons in Oculoplastic and
Vitreo-Retinal Surgeries – Gaza : A training
workshop for local eye surgeons in Gaza was
conducted in February 2013. They were trained in
vitreo-retina and oculoplastic surgeries by Dr.Imran
Ghayyor (vitreo-retinal consultant), Dr. Imran Akram
Phaco Training Workshop for Foreign Eye
Specialists in Pakistan: A hands-on training
workshop was conducted in Lahore, Pakistan, where
eye specialists from Egypt, Jordan, Sudan and
Palestine were trained in phacoemulsification surgery
for cataract removal.
Multiple Training Workshops for Local Eye
Specialists and Paramedics in Pakistan: 23
workshops have been conducted for doctors and
paramedics to date, with 356 participants.
Glimpses of Few Workshops/Training sessions:
Phaco-training Afghanistan:
Vitreo-Retinal,Oculoplastic and phaco Training
program, Kabul- Afghanistan
A series of three eye camps were organized in 2022 and
2023 to train local eye specialists in retinal and
oculoplastic surgeries. These camps also offered free
cataract, vitreo-retinal, oculoplastic and corneal
transplant surgeries
One eye specialist from Afghanistan was then enrolled in
a training program at Peshawar medical college and he
was trained in Vitreo-retinal and Corneal transplant
surgery for one year. Now after training, he is providing
eye-care services in Afghanistan.
Awards and Recognition
Recognizing the significant impact of the FIMA Save
Vision program in eye healthcare, it has received several
prestigious awards:
1. The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award – 2009
Presented at the annual convention of the American
College of Physicians, this award honors exceptional
innovation and effectiveness in healthcare.
2. FIMA Lifetime Achievement Award: Dr. hafeez
Ur Rahman and Dr. Adnan Jaljuli were awarded the
FIMA Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition
of their services to FIMA and FIMA Save Vision.
3. APAO Award: The Asia-Pacific Academy of
Ophthalmology presented this award to Dr. Intizar
Hussain in recognition of his services in preventing
blindness in the Asia-Pacific region through FIMA
Save Vision and POB Trust.
4. OSP Gold Medal: The Ophthalmological Society of
Pakistan presented this gold medal to Dr. Intizar
Hussain in recognition of his services in preventing
blindness through FIMA Save Vision and POB Trust.
5.Nimatullah Khan Lifetime Achievement Award
Dr. Intizar Hussain received this award in 2019, and
Dr. Misbahul Aziz received it in 2023.
Dr. Parvaiz Malik (President FIMA) with Dr. Jeffrey
Harris (President American College of Physicians to
receive The Richard and Hinda Rosenthal Award at the
convocation of American College of Physicians 2009
Impact to Date
Like Somalia/Somaliland, FSV program had a significant
impact in eye care services in various parts of Africa and
Asia specially by decreasing the backlog of preventable blindness by doing more than 350,000 cataract surgeries.
Establishing sustainable eye care centres and training eye
specialists and paramedics
Conclusion
FIMA Save Vision’s history is a testament to the power
of collaboration and dedication in addressing global
health crises. From its origins in Darfur to expanding
across Africa and Asia, the program continues to restore
sight and hope to thousands, embodying the true spirit of
humanitarian aid.
The FIMA Save Vision program represents a remarkable
collaborative effort among the member Islamic Medical
Associations (IMAs) of the Federation of Islamic Medical Associations (FIMA). By coming together under
a unified umbrella, these organizations have successfully
pooled their resources, expertise, and dedication to work
towards a common goal: the eradication of preventable
blindness through comprehensive eye care initiatives.
This collective endeavour has led to outstanding results,
demonstrating the power of international cooperation in
addressing significant public health challenges.
Success story of FSV was instrumental to start
other programs like FIMA Save Smile, Fima Save
Dignity, Fima Save Heart and so on under the umbrella
of FIMA.
