Evaluation report, Helen Keller International, Philippines : integrated primary eye health care and blindness prevention

External evaluation covers the period through 9/84 and is based on site visits and interviews with personnel of the implementing agency, Helen Keller International (HKI). Project implementation has been sound, especially in developing low-cost training methods and materials suited to the Philippine context. Focus has been on basic training of village health workers. This training has been conducted primarily by educators, not health professionals. One manual has been translated into the local language. The project uses an ad hoc surgical referral service, rather than trying to expand hospital-based surgical services. It hopes to create a grassroots constituency for eye care that will demand such services (especially cataract extraction) in rural areas. Overall, the "vertical" project has been well-integrated into the existing "horizontal" PHC system and seems to have helped improve it. Resources allocated by the Ministry of Health (MOH) for eye care seem appropriate for the demand, and the MOH does not appear to be distracted from other duties by project activities. On the contrary, the PEC training appeared to strengthen the general clinical skills and confidence of peripheral health care workers. The training program should be continued and expanded to new areas (e.g., Panay). However, attention should be given to: (1) training host country counterparts to take over training and project management functions; (2) developing a health worker evaluation and monitoring system; (3) improving the availability of surgical services; and (4) developing a system for supplying drugs and supplies to the VHW's. HKI is aware of these and other project needs.