Social Technology focused on developing the visual health of children enrolled in municipal public schools, with a special focus on students in early childhood and elementary education.
Current Status
Aviste addresses a critical child health issue related to vision, as a large part of learning depends on the visual system, and irreversible damage can impact a child’s entire life. Global data indicates that over 75% of avoidable blindness cases—caused by conditions such as cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma, and macular degeneration—could be prevented.
In Brazil, about 20% of school-aged children have visual disorders, and studies in Sergipe show that 30% of children in public schools have some form of visual impairment, with more than half needing glasses. Access to eye care is hindered by socioeconomic and geographic factors, as well as a shortage of ophthalmologists, especially in remote areas where there is significant inequality in the distribution of these professionals. With only one ophthalmologist for every 9,224 inhabitants in the country—and a higher concentration in the Southeast region—many children lack access to early diagnoses.
Therefore, the aim of the project is to create a Social Technology that brings visual health services to public schools in Santa Luzia do Itanhy, Sergipe, in partnership with the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology and the Sergipe Society of Ophthalmology. The initiative includes a mobile diagnostic unit and training materials for school professionals, aiming to prevent issues such as amblyopia and irreversible visual impairment in children, especially up to 8 years old.
Results
141
Students attended
History
Aviste addresses a critical childhood health problem related to vision, since much of learning depends on the visual system and irreversible damage can compromise children's entire lives. Global data indicate that more than 75% of cases of preventable blindness, caused by conditions such as cataracts, refractive errors, glaucoma, and macular degeneration, could be prevented.
In Brazil, approximately 20% of school-aged children have eye disorders, and studies in Sergipe show that 30% of children in public schools have some visual impairment, with more than half needing glasses. Access to care is hampered by socioeconomic and geographic factors, and by the scarcity of ophthalmologists, especially in remote regions, where there is a great inequality in the distribution of these professionals. With only one ophthalmologist for every 9,224 inhabitants in the country, and a greater concentration in the Southeast region, many children do not have access to early diagnoses. Thus, the objective of this project is to create a Social Technology that brings visual health to public schools in Santa Luzia do Itanhy/SE, in partnership with the Brazilian Council of Ophthalmology and the Sergipe Society of Ophthalmology. The initiative includes a mobile diagnostic unit and training materials for school professionals, aiming to prevent problems such as amblyopia and irreversible visual impairment in children, especially up to 8 years of age.
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Interaction with others projects
