Background

 

China is a highly populated country. At the present time, over 7 million people have been registered with low vision. But this might have not reflected the reality of the low vision problems in the country, since it has been noticed that many people with low vision have not been registered in the system. If we take the average prevalence of low vision in many other countries (1.4%) for a reasonable estimation, the number of people with low vision in China will approach 20 million.

However, facilities for low vision rehabilitation are far from adequate in China. Institutions with functional low vision rehabilitation services are rare. Social security system for low vision rehabilitation has not been well established. Resources, including professional training, public education, technologies as well as quality low vision aid devices for low vision rehabilitation, are highly demanded. 

In 2009 Sekwa formed a cooperation with the Beijing Disabled Person Federation, and later China Federation of the Disabled Persons, for the development of a Visual Rehabilitation Program. The initiative has received technical support from the Norwegian company Provista Innovation  (www.provista.no) and  financial support from Innovation Norway.  The main aim is to develop a research and development framework for service provision in vision rehabilitation in the country.

With international constructive collaborations of institutions, organizations and manufacturers, and by working with the eye care professionals and hospitals, institutions and governmental organizations in China, Sekwa, together with ProVista has been establishing several projects, including establishing a center of excellence of low vision rehabilitation (LVR) services as well as professional education and training. Examples of the activities as the following:

  1. ProVista is given the task to coordinate the work for LVR with the best services in Vision Rehabilitation in Europe and in particular with those in the Nordic Countries. There is a strong wish to develop a bilateral exchange of knowledge between China and the Nordic countries in this specialized field of Science. The Nordic Council of Ministers has approved this project and granted ProVista this task.
  2. A Low Vision Rehabilitation Center has been established at Sekwa Eye Hospitals with the help of ProVista Norway. This hospital is on behalf of the Chinese Disabled Peoples Federation and the Health Authorities given the project to establish the Low Vision Clinic in Beijing. An advanced Low vision rehabilitation service at Sekwa is highly expected as a model.
  3. The web page of Low Vision Rehabilitation has been established for both public education and professional education. A lot of information will be presented as e-learning on different levels. This project is called Smart Education and will provide online courses in vision rehabilitation and general information on these issues. Governmental and professional supports and applications of this web page for LVR service were invited.
  4. Expertise from partner institutions in China visited Norway and Sweden successively. This had been an important step forward of ProVista's work in China.
  5. Professionals from Norway and Sweden have been invited to work with Chinese colleagues in Sekwa Low Vision Center, Sekwa Eye Hospital of Beijing.
  6. The ProVista training course with Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation for professionals in low vision services has been initiated since 2009. This training course is focusing on the training of selected eye doctors and rehabilitation professionals from regional hospital in Beijing.
  7. China Disabled Persons Federation (CDPF) noticed ProVista's serious concern and ProVista's concept on establishing the low vision rehabilitation system in China. Sekwa Eye Hospital together with ProVista had been invited to be involved in organizing the second forum of the International Forum on Low Vision Rehabilitation of China in 2009. 
  8. ProVista demonstrated its expertise and services in Shanghai Expo 2010.
  9. Sekwa Eye Hospital together with Expertise at ProVista have devoted to assemble the expertise team in Beijing. Based on these work, the Lowvision Rehabilitation Council of Beijing has been established in August 2012. Dr. Xipu Liu, director of Sekwa Eye Hospital has been elected as the first Chairman of the council.
  10. The availability of the low vision aid devices has been one of the major obstacles for LVR services in China. With the supports of Eschenbach, the well known producers of optical vision aid devices, and LVI, one the best producers for electronic magnifier, and several other top producers of the other low vision aids, Sekwa is able to introduce the best possible low vision aid devices to the patients in China.
  11. ProVista Vision Technologies was established in 2011 as a branch of Sekwa Group. It is acknowledged that low vision rehabilitation is not a simple work just for delivering low vision aid devices. It is in fact a systemic work from production of technologies to professional service, government support and public education. ProVista Vision Technologies is prepared to devote to the development of the low vision rehabilitation service in China by providing total-solution of LVR from the whole range of quality low vision aid devices to education, training, and technical supports.