Community eye care has fortunately come a long way. Today, there exist many service delivery models that facilitate the process of reaching out into the community in different parts of the world. Most are customized to suit different conditions – the geography, culture, logistics, population density, rural-urban divide, disease and age distribution, ability to pay etc. We are also witnessing the emergence of information technology and the opportunities it offers for remote diagnosis and consultations.

This consultation set a platform where these different models can be better understood and shared. Leaders in the field of eye care and community work were brought together to deliberate on how unique features of each model can be analysed to facilitate an understanding: how can diverse groups can be reached?; how can different types of eye diseases be addressed in the community?; how does service delivery takes place in different settings? – to develop an in-depth understanding of how to reach out to the community 360.

This report captures the learning that came out of the ‘Reaching The Unreached’ workshop held at LAICO, Aravind Eye Care System, Madurai in October, 2007. The workshop was structured to focus on each eye disease by articulating the magnitude and the current challenges and trends. Discussions brought out the best practices that could help build a service delivery model to reach the community and resources required to do this.

Here are the analyses and strategies put forth to address eye care needs in the community pertaining to:

• Cataract

• Refractive error

• Paediatric eye care

• Diabetic retinopathy

• Geographical factors