Operation Eyesight Universal wins a 2009 YMCA Calgary Peace Medals Award
This award honours organizations in the local community who both encourage and educate global awareness, and are committed to the advancement of peace abroad. Since 1991, YMCA
In conjunction with winning the award, Operation Eyesight was featured in a short video about their work in the developing world, shown at the YMCA
"This award is a recognition of our efforts to eradicate preventable blindness in developing countries," says
Operation Eyesight is committed to global, environmental and cross-cultural education of blindness prevention. Operation Eyesight is a leader in the world on quality eye care units that has become a model in the developing world.
Operation Eyesight implements the World Health Organization's SAFE strategy to eliminate trachoma by drilling boreholes to provide clean water and constructing latrines to prevent transmission of the bacteria by flies, in addition to dispensing antibiotics and providing lid surgery.
Almost fifty per cent of the developing world's population - 2.5 billion people - lack improved sanitation facilities, and over 884 million people still use unsafe drinking water sources. Poor sanitation, water and hygiene have many serious repercussions - sickening and killing thousands of children every day.
"Receiving this award not only acknowledges the work that we have done to improve the lives of those threatened by blindness, but fundamentally sheds light on the fact that we still have an abundance of work ahead of us," says Ferguson.
/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/
For further information: Lindsay O'Connor, Head of Media, [email protected], Cell: (647) 404-4469, Toll Free: 1-800-585-8265 ext. 3
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