Dr. Jo\u00e3o Marcello Furtado is a Brazilian ophthalmologist specializing in uveitis, with an outstanding clinical, academic and research career. He works as a care worker and teacher at the Hospital das Cl\u00ednicas in Ribeir\u00e3o Preto (Brazil), is a medical consultant for the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and has collaborated with the World Health Organization on projects to prevent blindness, in addition to actively participating in scientific societies, consolidating himself as a relevant figure in ophthalmological research and care.<\/p>\n
His link with Eyes of the world began with the project developed in Oruro together with the Lions Club, where he participated in field monitoring and toured rural areas, consolidating since then a close and committed partnership. This complicity with the Foundation has been strengthened especially in the framework of RAAB (Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness), where Jo\u00e3o is a principal investigator, contributing not only his experience but also a deep vocation to serve.<\/p>\n
What I would highlight the most would be the commitment of local teams and their willingness to work in a coordinated manner, even in complex logistical contexts. A study like the RAAB does not depend only on good methodology; it also depends on the ability to adapt on the ground, the knowledge of local realities and the involvement of professionals who understand the needs of their own population. In Bolivia, we saw just that: teams very committed, with a real interest in generating useful evidence for the country.<\/p>\n
The potential impact is highly relevant. The RAAB allows us to know, with updated and comparable data, how many people live with blindness or visual impairment, what are the main causes, and in which groups the greatest need is concentrated. This helps to better guide national planning, prioritize cost-effective interventions, organize services, and distribute resources more fairly. Without local data, the risk is planning on assumptions. With data, the country can make more sound decisions.<\/p>\n
What changes, first and foremost, is the quality of decision-making. Updated evidence allows identifying whether the main problems are related to cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma or other causes. It also enables the detection of geographical, social or access inequalities. That changes the conversation: you move from a general discussion of needs to planning based on specific priorities.<\/p>\n
In addition, this local information is fundamental to connect the reality of the country with global eye health frameworks. International agencies push for targets, indicators and strategies, but their implementation only makes sense if it is adapted to the national context. Local data helps translate global recommendations into specific, feasible, and measurable policies. It also makes it easier for the country to monitor progress, engage with international partners, and justify investments in eye health within a broader agenda of universal health coverage and equity.<\/p>\n
The strategic step is not just to publish results, but to turn them into a plan of action. This requires reviewing findings with the Ministry of Health, ophthalmology services, primary care, civil society, and technical partners. From there, it is necessary to define priorities, targets, managers and monitoring indicators.<\/p>\n
In many contexts, the RAAB results show needs that were already perceived by teams but not quantified.<\/p>\n
Having this data allows us to transform a perception into a work agenda. However, data alone does not change reality. It must be translated into specific decisions: strengthening referral networks, expanding access to cataract surgery, improving coverage of refractive correction, identifying barriers for rural or vulnerable populations and, above all, integrating eye health into the health system, not as an isolated component.<\/p>\n
A very important lesson is that a national plan is useful only if it is realistic, prioritized, and taken over by local actors. In Mozambique, as elsewhere, it became clear that having a technically correct document is not enough. The plan must be in line with installed capacity, system constraints and opportunities for progressive implementation.<\/p>\n
Another learning is the importance of linking eye health with primary care, human resource training, and referral mechanisms. It is also essential to define well which actions can have a short-term impact and which require more gradual construction. In contexts with limited resources, prioritization is indispensable.<\/p>\n
For Bolivia, this can be especially useful: use the RAAB evidence as a basis, but build from it a feasible plan, with clear goals, timeline, and shared responsibilities. A good plan does not attempt to solve everything at once; it establishes a consistent path for sustained progress.<\/p>\n
I think the value of Eyes of the world\u2019s work lies in its ability to collaborate with a vision of strengthening the system and not just responding promptly to immediate needs. This is fundamental. In eye health, isolated interventions can be useful, but their effect is limited if they do not improve local capacities, organize services, and use evidence for decision-making.<\/p>\n
In Bolivia, Eyes of the world has played an important role by working together with local actors, accompanying processes and contributing to create conditions for improvements to be sustainable. Such cooperation, based on partnerships and respect for the country\u2019s priorities, often has a more lasting impact. Moreover, when an organization supports both care and training, planning, and the production of evidence, its contribution goes far beyond individual benefit: it helps to consolidate a stronger system, more equitable and better equipped to respond to the needs of the population.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":31001,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-34439","entrevistes","type-entrevistes","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n