According to a release from the NHF, under this phase, the project has been expanded to include the provision of white canes to facilitate safe mobility of patients who are visually impaired. Approximately 1,200 persons are expected to benefit from this initiative.

Project effectiveness

In order to improve project effectiveness and identify and assist persons with eye conditions that can cause blindness, screening will be done over 15-20 days in each parish.

Claudette Yearde, project manager for the eye care project, noted that under phase one, screenings were conducted sporadically islandwide. She said concentrating efforts in each parish over the scheduled time frame would improve the project's coverage.

Agreement

The Jamaica-Cuba Eye Care Project is based on an agreement between both governments to cooperate in reducing the prevalence of blindness in Jamaica by providing cost-effective, supplementary surgical eye-care to persons who have access difficulties.

The additional grant of $48 million for phase two of the project brings the total amount of NHF grants for the Jamaica-Cuba Eye Care Project to $80.4 million.