An independent panel of ophthalmology and optometry experts selected the 12 projects, compared to 10 in 2019, that aligned best with XOVA’s mission to have a significant impact in unmet needs. In total Novartis will award the winning initiatives with a combined grant worth € 515,000, projected to benefit up to 200,000 people.
XOVA congratulates this year‘s winners:
- Schoolteachers as vision screeners for refractive errors and vitamin A deficiency in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India
Fr. Jacob Poikathanickal (Sabu P.L) on behalf of Purvanchal Gramin Seva Samiti (PGSS) - Improving access to diabetic retinopathy screening and treatment (IMPACT) in Malawi
Dr. Shaffi Yusuf Mdala on behalf of the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COECSA) - Expanding pediatric access to eye care in Guatemala
Dr. Chundak Tenzing on behalf of the Seva Foundation - India’s Vision on Wheels
Dr. V. Vasumathy on behalf of the Gurupriya Vision Research Foundation - Eye care delivery for Brazilians living in vulnerable conditions
João M Furtado on behalf of Ribeirão Preto Medical School, University of São Paulo, Brazil - The Karnali Cataract Project
Dr. Shakti Prasad Subedi on behalf of Nepal Red Cross Society
Surkhet Eye Hospital - Eye care services for minority populations in Pakistan
Sohail Ayaz Khan on behalf of the Comprehensive Health and Education Forum International (CHEF Int'l) - Blindness Free Village Initiative, Udhampur, India
John M Barrows on behalf of the International Eye Foundation - Chemba District’s first community eye center
Dr. Frank Sandi on behalf of the University of Dodoma Teaching Hospital - Reducing the burden of blindness in Mopti region, Mali
Dr. Borja Corcóstegui Guraya on behalf of Eyes of the World Foundation - War against diabetic blindness in Central India
Dr. Gajendra Chawla on behalf of Vision Academy – The Socio Medical Society, Samiti - Telescreening for ROP in Bangladesh
Lindsay Hampejsková on behalf of IRD Global
The XOVA Vision Awards program aims to help reduce the burden of blindness around the world by providing funding for non-profit initiatives that strive to make improvements within the field of eye care
Applications now open for 2021
Application forms and further details of XOVA can be found at https://www.xova.novartis.com/