Dr. Roger Ohanesian and the Armenian Eye Care Project

Dr. Ohanesian’s interest in medicine came from growing up in a family of medical doctors.  He was inspired to become an ophthalmologist when his grandmother lost her sight after unsuccessful cataract surgery.  Dr. Ohanesian graduated from Boston University and then received his medical education at the University of Vermont.  He went to Harvard for his residency in ophthalmology and clinical fellowship.

Dr. Ohanesian taking the call to serve in Armenia and create the Armenian Eye Care Project (AECP)

In 1991 a call came from Armenia’s Minister of Health asking for assistance from Medical Experts worldwide to serve in the war-torn country.  He also asked for help to fight the “growing wave of blindness” in Armenia. The1988 Earthquake killed more than 50,000 people and injured many more.  In the same year war between Armenia and Azerbaijan began and lasted 6 years.  By 1991 a major health crisis had begun.  Armenian ophthalmologists embarked on a mission to Armenia – taking equipment and medicine with them.  Children were more than half the patients, almost all were war casualties.

            Dr. Ohanesian answered the call and spent two weeks in Armenia treating more than 300 patients and performing almost 40 surgeries.  This experience in Armenia changed his life and became the center of his career.  Soon after his return he founded the Armenian Eye Care Project which is dedicated to eliminating preventable blindness and expanding access to eyecare in Armenia.  He has returned to Armenia more than 50 times and brought ophthalmologists and millions of dollars in medical equipment.  These doctors have performed surgeries, trained Armenian doctors and assisted in the creation of Armenia’s first Corneal Eye Bank which obtains, medically evaluates and distributes eyes donated by individuals for corneal transplantation, research and education.

In 2002 the AECP launched an initiative to eliminate preventable blindness in Armenia.  This is being accomplished through a comprehensive integrated program focusing on:

1. Direct patient care

2. Medical education and training

3. Public education

4. Research

5. Strengthening the Armenian eyecare delivery system through capacity building. 

At the same time the Eye Care Project opened an office in Yerevan to maintain a year-round presence in Armenia. Most troubling is the alarming rate of childhood eye disease found in young Armenians including glaucoma, diabetes related eye disease almost never seen in American Youth and not in Americans until their later years.

            The Mission of AECP is to eliminate preventable blindness and its causes in Armenia and to make quality eyecare available to every child and adult in the country.  In 50 trips to Armenia more than a half million have been screened and over 20,000 surgeries have been performed.                         

Armenia and the goal of reducing preventable blindness has become Dr. Ohanesian’s life’s work – which he pursues tirelessly.

To learn more, visit eyecareproject.com.