Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness in Eastern Indonesia 1. Dr Habibah Muhiddin MD, ophthalmologist, Wahidin Sudirohusodo General Hospital 2. Dr Veni Hadju MD, physician, Dept of Ophthalmology, Medical School at Hasanuddin University, Makassar 3. Prof. Jill Keeffe PhD OAM, Head of the Population Health Unit, CERA, Melbourne

Proposal Elements  Introduction  Aims  Protocol  GANTT chart/timeline  Resources/collaborators/contracts  Project leadership plan  Research team biographies  Literature review  Letters of support  Publication plan  Budget

Proposal Elements  Introduction  Aims  Protocol  GANTT chart/timeline  Resources/collaborators/contracts  Project leadership plan  Research team biographies  Literature review  Letters of support  Publication plan  Budget

Project Summary This proposal is to conduct a RAAB in South Sulawesi, a region where a SightFirst proposal is being developed for consideration at the August 2012 SAC. The RAAB will be conducted in 3 districts. Both urban and rural areas will be included to be representative of this region. (?)

Project Summary This proposal is to conduct a RAAB in South Sulawesi, a region where a SightFirst proposal is being developed for consideration at the August 2012 SAC. The RAAB will be conducted in 3 districts. Both urban and rural areas will be included to be representative of this region. (?) The standard RAAB protocol will be followed, with some additions to include barriers to correction of presbyopia and inclusion of prevalence of diabetic retinopathy. (?) Dec 2012 – Oct 2013 Budget: $ 64,130

Relevance Relevance: High the project aligns with SightFirst priorities because it seeks to – assess the eye care needs of underserved populations in a regions where SightFirst plans to operate in the future – identify barriers to the uptake of eye care services in a regions where SightFirst plans to operation in the future

Approach The approach is appropriate as it intends to use a well established methodology, which provides comparable data There are however concerns regarding: – The lack of information on the sampling frame (stratification Urban vs Rural or not) – The addition of modules that are either under development (presbyopia) or that are difficult to implement (diabetes). Or is this part of the research? – The way the eye examination will be conducted, especially regarding posterior segment

Investigators Prof. Keeffe is a SightFirst TA The way the team is going to work is not described in detail. Who will be the Principal Investigator? There are concerns regarding the diagnosis of posterior segment diseases

Environment There seems to be little scientific environment This survey will develop local capacity that could be used in other provinces or in neighboring countries No specific risks are reported – or known

Budget The budget is rather high for a RAAB There is no detail Translation might not be necessary The equipment to be purchased is very basic. It is not clear if some other equipment (e.g. slit lamp) will be provided by the hospital

Overall Assessment Strengths Relevance: base line data for a SF project Impact: no previous data, contributes to the global estimates Local capacity building Expanded RAAB? – needs to be clarified Weaknesses Lack of clarity regarding the protocol (sampling, eye exam, additional modules) Lack of clarity regarding the organization (PI, lines of supervision and reporting) Budget

Recommendation The questions and the concerns raised need to be addressed before making a decision If they are properly addressed, then this proposal would have a high impact.