Community outreach is an effective strategy to increase accessibility, affordability, and gender inclusivity of eye care services. Outreach involves bringing services to communities in order to overcome barriers like distance, cost, and lack of awareness. Various outreach models exist, including mobile clinics and vision centers. Outreach screening results in higher female turnout compared to services at base hospitals. Benefits include promoting community ownership, addressing barriers, and tailoring strategies to focus on underserved groups like women and girls. Outreach leads to better monitoring, follow-up, compliance and ultimately improved vision outcomes and quality of life.

1. COMMUNITY OUTREACH – AN EFFECTIVE STRATEGY TO
INCREASE ACCESSIBILITY, AFFORDABILITY AND
GENDER INCLUSIVITY
Manish Kumar, Orbis International 28 November 2015

2. THE NEED…
Blindness is a public health issue –
efforts should be made to tackle it at
the community level with
appropriate referral
Outreach = Reach Out
Go to them in order to make them
come to us
• Leading to behaviour change towards seeking
health care services
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Base Hospital
work
Community
Work
(Outreach)
Comprehensive
Service Delivery

3. BARRIERS
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Geographical
Social
Economic
Lack of Awareness

4. VARIOUS OUTREACH MODELS
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Nomadic Camps
- Sporadically organized in different locations
Fixed Site Camps
- Organized periodically in the same place
Mobile Ophthalmic Clinics
- An equipped van is used for screening camps in unreached areas
Vision Centers
- A fixed facility with a permanent staff to serve a designated population
on a daily basis

5. OUTREACH SCREENING MODES
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Direct Indirect
Outreach Camp
Mobile Van Clinic
Vision Center
School Screening
Anganwadi Screening
Community Volunteer
Screening
Hospital intervention required to monitor
the quality of work and
reduce unnecessary referral of patients
Hospital Volunteers/CBOs

6. BENEFITS OF OUTREACH
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Promotes community mobilization and ownership
Service provider’s presence in the community
Promotes problem specific solution design
Increases reach – coverage
Increases awareness within the community
Encourages involvement of all stakeholders
Addresses barriers to increase affordability, accessibility and gender
inclusivity

7. ACCESSIBILITY
Breaking the geographical barrier to begin with…
Services made available within the community
Less time consumed
Unreached communities can be reached
Opportunity for community involvement
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8. AFFORDABILITY
Reduced cost for the patient
Treatment cost
Other associated expenses
Fewer visits to the hospital, as follow up can be done at a nearby center
Reduced time
Subsidized treatment – surgeries, spectacles, etc.
Reduces over-referral …. only when necessary
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9. GENDER INCLUSIVITY
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Higher turn out of females in outreach as compared to base hospital

10. SCREENING COMPARISON
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Male
60%
Female
40%
Base Hospital
Male
42%
Female
58%
Outreach
Outreach
69%
Base
Hospital
31%
Screening of Females
Screening Data of one year - 2013
Male Female Total
Outreach 68,559 95,144 163,703
Base Hospital 64,174 43,307 107,481
Total 132,733 138,451 271,184

11. Allows for tailoring strategies to focus on women and girl
child
• Key Informant method
• Involve ASHA workers
• Develop strategies to get the women to hospitals for treatment
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12. OUTCOME
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Better
Monitoring
Improved
Follow-up
Increased
Compliance
Better
Visual
Outcome
Improved
Quality of
Life

13. THANK YOU
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