LAHORE: International Agency for Prevention Blindness (IAPB) has awarded Prof Asad Aslam Khan with Eye Health Hero Award in recognition of his meritorious services in the field of Eye Health and Prevention of Blindness in the region, particularly in Pakistan.
The IAPB conferred this award on Prof Khan in the annual council meeting held in Kathmandu, Nepal this week in which around 250 delegates from 70 member organisations participated.
Prof Asad Aslam Khan is the chairman of the Faculty of Ophthalmology at King Edward Medical University (KEMU).
The IAPB is an alliance of organisations, corporates, and professional bodies promoting eye health through advocacy, knowledge and partnership. The IAPB mission is to eliminate the main causes of avoidable blindness and visual impairment by bringing together government and non-governmental agencies and promoting the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Global Action Plan 2014-2019 on Universal Eye Health.
Prof Khan received this award for his meritorious services for promotion of eye health and prevention of blindness in Pakistan. Professor Khan who also works as a national coordinator for the Prevention of Blindness in Pakistan has established College of Ophthalmology and Allied Vision Sciences (COAVS) on a public-private partnership. He upgraded eye departments of all teaching hospitals, District Headquarters (DHQ) hospitals and established new eye departments in 71 THQs throughout Punjab.
He introduced nine new courses in Ophthalmology for vitreoretinal and paediatric ophthalmology, ophthalmic technician, optometry, orthoptics and investigative ophthalmology, ophthalmic nursing, community ophthalmology, and thus introduced new cadres of vitreoretinal specialists and paediatric ophthalmologists, ophthalmic technician, refractionist, optometrists, orthoptists, investigative oculist, community ophthalmologists. With the help of international NGOs, he has developed subspecialty units of vitreoretinal and paediatric ophthalmology at 13 teaching hospitals in Pakistan.
In recognition of his meritorious services in the field of Ophthalmology, the president of Pakistan conferred upon him the civil award of Sitara- e-Imtiaz in 2005; in the field of medical education and clinical practice, the Ministry of National Health Services Regulation and Coordination conferred upon him The National Award in April 2012. The government of Punjab on the basis of meritorious services promoted him to grade 21 in 2015.
He has also been awarded Asia Pacific Award for prevention of blindness by Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology; gold medal by Ophthalmological Society (OSP) of Pakistan for services in community eye health; and gold medal by OSP Hyderabad for services rendered in the field of ophthalmology.