Two CBM Luxembourg Board Directors visit IONA, Luanda (Angola)
A new 3-year Memorandum of Understanding is signed to continue and deepen CBM’s collaboration with our trusted partner the National Ophthalmological Institute of Angola (IONA).
January 2024, two CBM Luxembourg Board Directors spent a week visiting the site of our trusted partner in Angola, IONA. The visit was made by Dr. Michelle Berna-Thill, ophthalmologist and Isabelle Schwall, a lawyer. They were also joined by Lucie Fernandes da Silva, a nurse.
A key highlight of the visit was the in-person, dual-signing of a new Memorandum of Understanding by Dr. Paiva (IONA) and by Dr. Berna-Thill and Ms Schwall (both CBM).
The new Memorandum lays out the basis for a continued collaboration from 2024 to 2026. In that, we stress four key areas of focus:
1. provision of training equipment (“wet lab”) and other needed equipment (phaco-emulsificator)
2. provision of cataract kits (enough kits for 1,000 operations per year)
3. payment for costs of external trainers as well as covering costs for top IONA residents to attend congresses.
4. payment of tuition fees for training IONA doctors in cataract surgery specialisation.
While onsite, the visiting team met with patients who were at IONA and preparing for treatment. Dr. Berna-Thill was able to provide guidance on patient management and operational efficiencies to help the centre run more effectively and make optimum use of its resources. The visiting team brought a new technology for training in a “dry lab” (Kitaro). Dr. Berna-Thill was able to provide key training and guidance on the recently installed OCT machine.
Lucie Fernandes da Silva, a qualified nurse, provided essential training to nurses at IONA on sterilisation best practises. The group learned that nurses in Angola are not allowed to perform cataract surgeries, and so going forward, CBM will fund a different training for nurses at IONA, such as sterilisation and surgical preparation. This is critical, as post eye surgery inflammation is common in Angola.
The CBM group also met with the primary care representative from the Angola Ministry of Health (MINSA). MINSA told of how screenings for visual deficits in children are greatly needed. Problems such as diabetic retinopathy and refraction are often detected too late. This tied in with a lecture given by Dr. Berna-Thill on retinoblastoma in children. The group and MINSA agreed to continue conversations on how CBM can help promote eye health care in Angola.
The visiting team were able to meet all seven resident doctors and two nurses from IONA who were able to attend training in The Gambia, funded by CBM.
Both IONA and CBM were happy that the visit was very successful. There were learnings for CBM in terms of areas where we can help IONA in the future, such as the continued need for English courses to help resident doctors access further trainings. Also IONA gained valuable insights from the visiting group. Both CBM Board Directors are keen to return in 2025 to follow up on the advice and bring other needed materials.
Many thanks to the travellers, Dr. Michelle Berna-Thill, Ms Isabelle Schwall and Ms Lucie Fernandes da Silva, for taking the time from their professional and personal lives to visit IONA.
