LAICO, 21-24 July 2026

LAICO conducted the 16th batch of the “Eyexcel – Excellence in Eye Care Training” course from July 21–24, 2026, with 23 participants in 8 teams from India and Kenya. The course strengthened participants’ training projects and enhanced their capacity to develop competency-based training curricula. Through interactive sessions and project-based learning, participants explored instructional design, effective teaching methods, adult learning principles, the flipped classroom approach, Apps for Learning, assessment strategies and online training tools

The AOP Training Exhibit showcased Aravind’s innovative teaching and learning practices.

Each team concluded the course with a practical action plan to strengthen training programs and improve learning outcomes in their institutions.

Nairobi, Kenya, 2- 6 June 2026

Organised by the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (LAICO) and facilitated by the Aravind Eye Care System, the Ophthalmic Instrument Maintenance Course was conducted by S. Meenakshi and B. Vinoth Kumar, Biomedical Engineers.

The course trained 25 participants from government and private hospitals across Kenya. Participants brought non-functional ophthalmic equipment from their respective hospitals for practical training. The programme covered the principles of equipment care and maintenance, with participants learning to dismantle and reassemble commonly used ophthalmic instruments. Preventive and breakdown maintenance procedures were explained and practised through hands-on sessions. Instruments used in cataract surgery were also covered through a combination of theoretical instruction and practical training.

At the conclusion of the course, each participant received a toolkit, a handbook, and a certificate of participation. Following the training, the team visited several eye hospitals across Kenya from 8–13 May 2026, providing preventive and breakdown maintenance services for ophthalmic equipment.

LAICO, 29-30 June 2026

LAICO hosted the two-day Seva Mentoring Strategic Workshop, bringing together 47 participants, including mentors, mentees, and members of the LAICO team. The workshop was facilitated by the Seva team and led by Suresh Kumar, Senior Faculty, LAICO.

The workshop focused on reviewing and finalising the mentoring strategy, aligning mentors and partner organisations on programme roles, processes, and the implementation roadmap. Participants also explored best practices in mentoring, institutional development, and organisational strengthening to enhance the effectiveness and long-term sustainability of the mentoring programme.

Kenya, 30th May – 23rd June 2026

LAICO team visited Kenya as part of the Kenya Cataract Programme, which was launched with the support of Bloomberg Philanthropies, in partnership with public and private eye hospitals across the country. The visit included an instrument maintenance course, the IAPB Conference, onsite visits to partner hospitals, a private partners’ review meeting, and a county hospitals launch meeting.

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative meeting was held on 3rd June 2026, during which R. Suresh Kumar, Senior Faculty, LAICO, briefed participants on the programme activities. The initiative focuses on five countries: Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria, with a goal of achieving 11,556,152 vision screenings, distributing 6,250,491 spectacles, and performing 231,000 cataract surgeries.

During the County Ophthalmologists’ Meeting held on 18 June 2026, Thulasiraj Ravilla, Dhivya Ramasamy, and other LAICO faculty members engaged in meaningful discussions with county ophthalmologists.

The Private Partners’ Review Meeting, held on 19-20 June 2026, featured presentations by LAICO faculty on key programme areas:

• Meenakshi Sundaram, Senior Manager, Clinical Services, Aravind-Madurai – Outpatient Screening in Outreach
• Dhivya Ramasamy – Cataract Surgeries
• Syed Ali A.– Refractive Error Services in Outreach
• S. Ganesh Babu – Cost-Effectiveness in Outreach Camps
• Suganya, Faculty, LAICO – Quality of Cataract Surgical Outcomes
• Mohamed Gowth, Senior Faculty, LAICO – Postoperative Follow-Up
• Udayakumar, Senior Faculty, LAICO – Comprehensive Eye Examinations

The process of engaging county hospitals in the Kenya Cataract Programme began with a Project Briefing Meeting at the Ministry of Health (MoH) office in June 2025. This was followed by several in-person and virtual meetings with the Council of Governors (CoG) and the Ministry of Health. During the recent visit, the LAICO team conducted the County Hospitals Launch Meeting, which included interactive group discussions and planning sessions.

As part of the programme, the team also visited Lions SightFirst Eye Hospital, Loresho, the Kenya Society of the Blind in Nairobi, and Kajiado County Referral Hospital in Kajiado.