CUHK Jockey Club Children′s Eye Care Programme (the Programme) Award Ceremony 2021 was held on 16th October, 2021 at the 10/F Auditorium, CUHK Medical Centre. We are greatly honoured to have Prof Sophia SC CHAN (Secretary for Food and Health, HKSAR) as our Guest of Honour, along with Ms Imelda CHAN (Head of Charities (Special Projects), Hong Kong Jockey Club), Dr Tony PS KO (Chief Executive, Hospital Authority, HKSAR), Prof Alan KL CHAN (Provost, CUHK), Prof Simon SM NG (Associate Dean (Student Affairs), Faculty of Medicine, CUHK), Dr FUNG Hong (Chief Executive Officer, CUHK Medical Centre), Dr Thomas WH CHUNG (Consultant Community Medicine (Family and Student Health), Department of Health, HKSAR), Dr Jenny MY LAM (Hospital Chief Executive, Kowloon Hospital and Hong Kong Eye Hospital), Prof Ben NM LAM (Chairman, Coordinating Committee (Ophthalmology)), Prof Alvin L YOUNG (Deputy Hospital Chief Executive (Professional Development & External Relations), Prince of Wales Hospital), Dr Emily FY YEUNG (Vice-President, Hong Kong College of Ophthalmologists), Dr Wilson WK YIP (Chief Of Service, Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, Prince of Wales Hospital and Alice Ho Miu Ling Nethersole Hospital), Dr Simon TC KO (Consultant Ophthalmologist, Hong Kong Children′s Hospital), as our Officiating Guests. Prof Clement CY THAM (Chairman, Programme Board of Directors), Prof Calvin CP PANG (Vice-Chairman, Programme Board of Directors), and Dr Jason CS YAM (Director of the Programme) also participated in the officiating. Ms Mandy PH NG (Programme Associate Director) was hostess of the event.
Over 300 guests including ophthalmologists, directors and representatives of NGOs, school principals and teachers, medical students, nursing students, secondary school students, community partners and voluntary workers have joined the ceremony.
″We are immensely grateful to the tremendous support and generous donation of 44 million HKD from Hong Kong Jockey Club Charities Trust, and we work closely together to implement CUHK Jockey Club Children′s Eye Care Programme 2018 to 2021.″ Opening Remarks by Prof Clement CY THAM.
″Every child should have the basic right to see the world clearly, regardless of their family background and ethnicity. We strive to protect the vision of our young generations.″ exemplified by Dr Jason CS YAM.
We are thankful and feel greatly privileged that in the past four years and over more than 300 weekends, we have provided free & comprehensive eye service to more than 25,000 children and their families; prescribed 3,000 pairs of free glasses to children in need. We have organised more than 300 children eye care education workshops to over 30,000 parents, 2,000 teachers, and 600 social workers. We have conducted about 1,000 outreach visits to families, primary schools and NGOs. We have also conducted two public education campaigns, CUHK Jockey Club Children′s Eye Care Programme Fun Day, in a shopping mall in Ma On Shan in year 2019 and 2021.
We are deeply grateful to the dedications of our eye care ambassadors including more than 100 eye doctors from the public and private sectors, 20 nurses and optometrists, 500 medical students and nursing students, 2,200 secondary school students, and 600 volunteer workers. The participations of 40 partner NGOs and 45 partner secondary schools have also contributed enormously to the Programme.
A large amount of data on children concerning eye care has been collected. Important and new information on ophthalmic conditions and relationships to lifestyle of children and their parents have been revealed that contribute immensely to eye care. We identify the adverse effect on children′s eye features by passive smoking and genetic factors for myopia. We are the world′s leading group to advocate early intervention for childhood myopia control by retarding myopia progression in the Low-Concentration Atropine for Myopia Progression (LAMP) Study. We contribute to advance the early detection and management of amblyopia. So far, we have contributed over 30 papers publications in international journals including Ophthalmology, and JAMA Ophthalmology.
″In the coming three years, we shall further our work on eye care, in particular myopia prevention, and to expand our service to children and families of ethnic minorities, children with special education need, and low-income families. We shall continue to work closely with HKJC Charities Trust, all our partner institutions and organizations, and all of you to serve our society and contribute to eye care at large.″ Closing Remarks by Prof Calvin CP PANG.
