Like many international cooperation organizations, IRIS Mundial is strongly impacted in the implementation of its regular activities in this pandemic context. We were forced to postpone the realization of our one-time project that should have taken place early November 2020. We also had to postpone a training mission that was planned in Senegal as part of our Program for the Prevention and Fight Against Blindness (PPFB) in Saint-Louis. Fortunately, the program continues to provide services, as it is implemented by our partner in Senegal. However, it works slowly, according to Senegal’s health regulations.
Today’s reality will force the international cooperation sector in general to adapt to this situation. New avenues are explored, including remote technology cooperation which IRIS Mundial intends to be part of. Before the pandemic, the implementation of the PPFB was already being supervised mainly at a distance through regular emails and telephone contacts. With the assistance of optometrist volunteers, we will soon remotely carry out part of the training of the new PPFB nurse in Saint-Louis.