Vision Source® Envisions a Future of Sustainable Eyecare for Northern Tanzania
Two optometric clinics with surgical centers planned for the region.
KINGWOOD, Texas – February 18, 2020 – Building upon a legacy of giving back, Vision Source® and longtime member, Moes Nasser, OD, in collaboration with Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) and the Tanzanian government are planning for construction of two new optometric clinics in Northern Tanzania tentatively scheduled to open later in 2020. Two surgical centers, which will be included in the optometry clinics, will serve over two million people and will be the first surgical centers located in the respective districts.
Suffering from poor eyesight as a child, the Tanzania native Dr. Moes Nasser’s eyesight went uncorrected until an organization visited his village and fitted him with his first pair of eyeglasses. In 1976, Dr. Nasser moved to the United States with his path leading him to optometry when he graduated with his OD in 1982 from the University of Houston. As a leading doctor within Vision Source, he has led mission trips to Tanzania for the past 12 years. As part of The Lake Zone Roshanali Nasser Outreach Project (named for Dr. Nasser’s father), 1,012 patients received eye exams on Dr. Nasser’s most recent trip in November 2019.
In addition to providing standard optometric care, Dr. Nasser and his team have made great strides in supporting the albino population in Tanzania. According to the National Library of Medicine, one in 1,400 babies are born with albinism throughout East Africa, “Oculocutaneous albinism is a major cause of low-vision at birth. Many of these people live in orphanages and since we have returned for over a decade, a mutual trust has developed within this community. We are privileged to have provided these patients with eyecare for the last ten years.”
Inspired by the great work of Dr. Nasser, Vision Source has raised funds through multiple corporate initiatives to benefit OGS, in the construction of new eye care facilities within Tanzania in 2020. “Vision Source member optometrists have a deep history of giving back both within their local communities and to the people of impoverished countries. Dr. Nasser’s work in Tanzania is an amazing example of this and our corporate support of his efforts was a natural next step,” says Vision Source Chief Medical Officer Dr. Amir Khoshnevis.
In addition to treating over 1,000 patients, substantial progress was made in planning for the new eye care facilities when Dr. Nasser met with two regional commissioners (Governors) to finalize clinic and cataract surgical center plans, as well as to discuss recruiting a local ophthalmologist and two additional optometrists. “OGS has partnered with Vision Source for many years and we are thrilled with the great work Dr. Nasser has led in Tanzania,” commented Interim Executive Director OGS Eric Anderson, “we look forward to helping him complete this bold new project.”
“I’m all about not just providing the fish, but teaching people how to fish for themselves,” said Dr. Nasser. Vision Source has established an aggressive plan that includes equipment, teacher training, school eye health screenings, and a construction timeline that will prepare the first clinic tentatively scheduled to open later in 2020.”
“When I return to my village, I sit under the shade of the same tree that I sat beneath as a child and am transported to the days when my father struggled to provide our family with the essentials, like food; it is easy for me to relate to the villagers,” said Dr. Nasser. “Vision Source and the Brien Holden Vision Institute are helping to give back to humanity with a strong plan for their eyecare future.”
About Vision Source
Founded in 1991, Vision Source is North America's most extensive network of independent optometrists consisting of over 4,500 optometrists. The clinicians in the Vision Source network enjoy access to newly evolving patient channels, including an expanding list of leading medical groups and integrated health systems with whom Vision Source optometrists collaborate. Additionally, members benefit from a wide range of innovative technologies, practice management tools, strategic marketing, and purchasing power. Leveraging these tools, the clinicians offer comprehensive eye care to their patients delivering an industry-leading patient experience. For more information, call 888-558-2020 or visit www.visionsource.com.