NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/
-- HelpMeSee, a global campaign to eliminate cataract
blindness, has named Dr. Van Charles
Lansingh as Medical Officer, Latin
America. In this role, he will lead the campaign's work with
surgical partners throughout Latin
America and the Caribbean
while also serving as the lead for blindness and public health
research. Dr. Lansingh has written extensively in various areas of
ophthalmology, especially on cataract blindness related topics. He
worked for more than a decade as the Latin America Regional
Coordinator for the IAPB.
"I am extremely impressed with the technology that HelpMeSee has
developed, including surgical simulation and GIS-GPS systems," said
Dr. Lansingh. "These will be paramount to reaching more patients
and training more cataract specialists in a safe environment.
HelpMeSee's systems provide a platform for evidence-based practice
and follow up of patients to reach the highest levels of restored
vision."
"We are delighted to have Van's expertise in ophthalmology and
public health leading the HelpMeSee campaign to eliminate cataract
blindness in Latin America," said
Mohan Jacob Thazhathu, President
& CEO, HelpMeSee. "Van will play a pivotal role in developing
HelpMeSee learning centers and surgical partners in the region. His
extensive research experience is critical to achieving the highest
standards of patient care and quality assurance fundamental for the
success of the HelpMeSee campaign."
Dr. Lansingh obtained his MD in 1987 from the Universidad
Nacional Autonoma de Mexico City,
Mexico, with residency and postgraduate work in Mexico City (APEC/UNAM). In 2005, he was
awarded a PhD in health sciences from the University of Melbourne in Australia after fieldwork with Aboriginal
communities in Central Australia
in which he studied the effects of the SAFE strategy for trachoma.
He has held various positions in Papua
New Guinea, Australia, and
Latin America and was the IAPB's
VISION 2020 Regional Coordinator in Latin
America for ten years, beginning in 2004. In 2012, he was
named Voluntary Assistant Professor of Ophthalmology at the Miller
School of Medicine, University of Miami
and Director of International Outreach in the Department of
Ophthalmology, Hamilton Eye Institute, at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.
Dr. Lansingh is on the international Advisory Panel of the
Ophthalmic News & Education (O.N.E.™) Network from the AAO
(American Academy of Ophthalmology) and ICO (International Council
of Ophthalmology), a member of the Group of Experts of WHO (World
Health Organization) / PAHO (Pan American Health Organization)
since May 2006, a frequent lecturer
at various international meetings and has authored or coauthored
over 60 papers in peer-reviewed journals and 11 chapters in
books.
About HelpMeSee
HelpMeSee is a global campaign to
eliminate cataract blindness endemic in developing countries. To
date, the campaign has delivered over 183,000 sight-restoring
surgeries in India, Nepal, China,
Vietnam, Togo, Sierra
Leone and Peru.
HelpMeSee has designed and is now producing a virtual reality
surgical simulator and training program to be implemented
worldwide, adapted from extensive experience in simulator based
aviation training.
Cataract blindness accounts for more than 60% of those suffering
from treatable blindness in Latin
America, most of whom do not have access to a relatively
quick procedure that could restore their vision. HelpMeSee's global
campaign will correct this imbalance. Through its growing network
of MSICS surgical partners and the implementation of the HelpMeSee
MSICS Surgical Simulator and training centers, HelpMeSee plans to
graduate 30,000 cataract surgical specialists to address the global
epidemic of 20 million people blinded by cataracts. This
multi-national, multi-disciplinary effort is made possible through
the work of simulator and engineering experts and highly skilled
medical and surgical teams worldwide.
Logo -
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130403/DC88441LOGO
Contact: Steele Burrow, 1-212-221-7606 Ext. 115,
steele@helpmesee.org
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SOURCE HelpMeSee