OPC - Organization for the Prevention of Blindness

About us

OPC (French name: l’Organisation pour la Prévention de la Cécité) is a French nonprofit organization that works primarily in Francophone Africa to preserve the sight of the most vulnerable populations.
Established as a nonprofit in 1978, OPC - Organization for the Prevention of Blindness was founded by a group of health and development experts with a passion for making a difference in the world.

Mission
OPC fights blindness and empowers Francophone Africans by providing sustainable access to sight. Since 1978, OPC works to ensure the human right to sight and provides research, treatments and cures for people affected by blindness and blinding diseases in Francophone Africa.
OPC has five components to its mission:
• Promote and implement projects and solutions to fight blindness and impaired vision.
• Contribute and encourage all initiatives in the areas of eye care and blindness prevention.
• Conduct epidemiological studies on the causes of total or partial vision loss.
• Organize and promote advocacy campaigns designed to increase public awareness about the extent and severity of blindness in French-speaking African countries.
• Develop human resources in the field of eye health.

What we do
• Sharing knowledge and training human resources in ophthalmology
• Establishing and/or strengthening eye care programs in French-speaking African countries
• Empowering local teams of eye health care professionals
• Implementing processes to ensure the sustainability of eye health activities
• OPC supports local research, treatment and cures programs that provide quality comprehensive and inclusive eye health care to communities in Francophone Africa.

Programs:
• Comprehensive Eye Care (CEC) Program: Through the comprehensive eye care (CEC) program, OPC combines comprehensive eye exams [series of quality tests and examination conducted with a patient with a vision problem] and comprehensive eye services [eye health promotion, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of all relevant eye diseases and rehabilitation of those with irreversible blindness and low vision] within the existing health system. We do this by: Training health personnel at the different levels of the health system; Improving the referral system; Improving existing infrastructures; Installing mechanisms that will guarantee quality and sustainability; Focusing on the prevention of eye diseases through education and awareness.
• #FORESIGHT School Eye Health Program: OPC has developed #FORESIGHT, a unique investment opportunity to deliver comprehensive eye care and change the lives of school children and their teachers in some of the world’s most neglected communities. OPC implements sustainable school eye health projects in 17 FORESIGHT countries with Ministries of Health & Education and local and international NGO partners.
• Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) program: OPC’s Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs) program is multi-faceted according to the disease. For all NTDs, projects include supporting target countries to map disease burden, gain access to donated NTD drugs, train community drug distributors, distribute drugs, and monitor and evaluate program performance and impact. To fight trachoma, OPC’s program also includes training ophthalmic nurses to standardized surgical procedures, and to plan, collaborate with local stakeholders to raise awareness in local communities about personal and general hygiene and to improve environmental conditions.

Céline NOGUES is the Executive Director of OPC - Organization for the Prevention of Blindness.

For other net participants we can offer an expert guidance through trained staff, give an expert opinion, procure expert information and establish new contacts in the field of our work.