What is LEHP?

The Lions Eye Health Programme (LEHP, pronounced ‘leap’) is a community-based education programme that allows Lions Clubs, community organizations and individuals to promote healthy vision and raise awareness of the causes of preventable vision loss.

LEHP Mission

The mission of the Lions Eye Health Programme is to empower communities to save sight through early detection and timely treatment of diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and age related macular degeneration (AMD) and to encourage the appropriate treatment of low vision.

The Need

The rapid increase in life expectancy and the consequent growing prevalence and incidence of vision threatening diseases put millions at risk, Glaucoma and Diabetic eye disease together account for about 25% of people on the blind register of England and Wales & according to the World Health Organization, about 284 million people are visually impaired worldwide; 39 million are blind and 245 million have low vision.

LEHP Objectives

■          To encourage the early detection and timely treatment of diabetic eye disease, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and the appropriate treatment for low vision by regular eye health checks (sight tests).

■          To help educate people at risk of eye disease and encourage them to seek appropriate treatment.

■          To establish community activities which promote awareness of eye health. These include: distribution of eye health LEHP materials at appropriate locations (doctors’ surgeries, senior citizens’ centres, schools, youth groups, and many other venues), vision screenings and eye health presentations in order to encourage take-up of regular routine eye examinations that can detect potentially blinding eye conditions at a stage when treatment is most effective.

■          To increase awareness of the network of eye health organizations concerned with diabetic eye disease, glaucoma, AMD and low vision. Local collaboration with these organizations will provide useful resources for Lions interested in promoting awareness of eye health and the causes of preventable vision loss.

History

Sight has been a major involvement    with Lions Clubs all over the world since Helen Keller, as far back as 1925, challenged Lions to be ‘knights of the blind in the crusade against darkness’. Since then, Lions have helped save the sight of millions of people in a wide variety of ways.

The Lions Eye Health Programme was originally launched with the objective of saving sight loss resulting from the two leading causes of preventable blindness in the UK – glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy

Remember

If the loss of sight is preventable, Let us continue to prevent it

LEHP Order Form 2012

LEHP Signature Project Order Form 2012