NEW YORK, Sept. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Last week,
Orbis International, with generous support from FedEx, launched a
new virtual Flying Eye Hospital project that will train eye care
professionals across China to
treat diabetic retinopathy, a sight-threatening condition that
every person living with diabetes is at risk of developing.
China has one of the world's
highest rates of diabetes. About 10% of the country's population
(over 100 million people) has diabetes, while roughly 30 million
people suffer from diabetic retinopathy and are at risk of becoming
blind.
The five-week virtual Flying Eye Hospital project launched today
will enable participating ophthalmologists and ophthalmology
residents to build their skills in identifying, managing and
treating diabetic retinopathy in their patients. Training will be
carried out in Mandarin through live lectures delivered by Orbis's
Volunteer Faculty (medical experts).
Ensuring that communities have access to quality eye care,
including routine eye screenings, is critical to curbing the uptick
of diabetic retinopathy. The condition does not have symptoms in
its early stages, and without being identified and treated in a
timely manner, it can cause gradual vision loss or blindness that
cannot be reversed.
"For the past four decades, FedEx has supported Orbis in
preventing and curing blindness across the world," said
Eddy Chan, senior vice president
& president FedEx China. "Being a responsible corporate citizen
in China, we're committed to
supporting local communities. We're glad that the new virtual
Flying Eye Hospital project will improve the skills of eye care
professionals and enable communities to have access to quality eye
care for diabetic retinopathy."
Orbis's Flying Eye Hospital is the world's only fully accredited
ophthalmic teaching hospital on board an MD-10 aircraft. For nearly
four decades, the Flying Eye Hospital has traveled the world
delivering best-in-class training for eye care professionals in
areas with the greatest need. Due to the impact of COVID-19, Orbis
reimagined its Flying Eye Hospital trainings as virtual ones in
2020 to ensure that eye care teams could still access critical
training safely during the pandemic. Last year, Orbis's
virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects had over 850 enrollments by
participants from 9 countries. Orbis expects to reach 20 countries
through its virtual Flying Eye Hospital projects this year.
"As people live longer lives, as the world's population grows,
and as lifestyle changes cause an uptick in conditions like
diabetic retinopathy, we are seeing a growing number of people
around the world with sight-threatening conditions who need eye
care," said Derek Hodkey, President
and Chief Executive Officer of Orbis International. "Responding to
this urgent need cannot slow down because of the pandemic. Partners
like FedEx make it possible for us to continue getting quality
ophthalmic training into the hands of the eye care teams that need
it most."
For almost four decades, FedEx has played an indispensable role
in helping Orbis achieve its mission, including the donation of the
MD-10 aircraft that serves as the third-generation Flying Eye
Hospital, and being a Global Title Sponsor of the Flying Eye
Hospital since 2020 through its Delivering for Good initiative. Now
as the Exclusive Title Sponsor of the newly launched virtual Flying
Eye Hospital project, FedEx's continued support is playing a vital
role in preventing avoidable blindness around the world.
Orbis has worked in China since
the Flying Eye Hospital visited Guangzhou in 1982. Since then, Orbis
has conducted 40 Flying Eye Hospital programs in China. In
2000, Orbis began carrying out long-term projects in China that strengthen local eye care systems
by providing training and equipment, focusing on improving
children's eye health, alleviating blindness caused by cataracts
and addressing complex emerging diseases, such as diabetic
retinopathy and glaucoma. Over the years, Orbis has carried out 220
projects in 25 regions in China,
trained over 20,000 health workers, conducted over 4.5 million
screenings and completed over 130,000 sight-saving operations.
About Orbis
Orbis is a leading global non-governmental
organization that has been a pioneer in the prevention and
treatment of avoidable blindness for nearly four decades. Orbis
transforms lives by delivering the skills, resources and knowledge
needed to deliver accessible quality eye care. Working in
collaboration with local partners, including hospitals,
universities, government agencies and ministries of health, Orbis
provides hands-on ophthalmology training, strengthens healthcare
infrastructure and advocates for the prioritization of eye health
on public health agendas. Orbis operates the world's only Flying
Eye Hospital, a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital on
board an MD-10 aircraft, and an award-winning telemedicine
platform, Cybersight. For the past ten consecutive years, Orbis has
achieved Charity Navigator's coveted four-star rating for
demonstrating strong financial health and commitment to
accountability and transparency, placing Orbis in the top 3% of
U.S. charities. In 2021, Orbis earned GuideStar's platinum Seal of
Transparency. To learn more, please visit orbis.org.
About FedEx Corp.
FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides
customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of
transportation, e-commerce and business services. With annual
revenue of $87 billion, the company
offers integrated business solutions through operating companies
competing collectively, operating collaboratively and innovating
digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked
among the world's most admired and trusted employers, FedEx
inspires its 560,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the
highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their
customers and communities. FedEx is committed to connecting people
and possibilities around the world responsibly and resourcefully,
with a goal to achieve carbon-neutral operations by 2040. To learn
more, please visit about.fedex.com.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Orbis International
Kristin Taylor
Director, Global Communications and Marketing
kristin.taylor@orbis.org
FedEx
Xiang-Xin Bao
Senior Specialist, Corporate Communications
xbao@fedex.com
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SOURCE Orbis International