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The East Timor Eye Program – an evaluation ETEP has been effective in building and maintaining partnerships in the eye care sector
Since its establishment in 2000, the East Timor Eye Program (ETEP) has supported the government of Timor-Leste and the National Hospital (HNGV) to manage and develop eyecare services focusing on cataracts, refractive error and ocular trauma. The ETEP delivers a wide-ranging set of in-country training activities in ophthalmology, optometry, eyecare nursing and allied eye health specialties. It also facilitates capacity building of the national eye health workforce through education and clinical service delivery, coupled with on-the-job mentoring and training. The various ETEP activities are largely donor-funded eye health and development projects, with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) managing the administration of the funding. In 2021 the ETEP underwent an independent evaluation, which was undertaken by the Nossal Institute for Global Health (The University of Melbourne). This evaluation was reflective of the ongoing commitment of RACS Global Health to ensure independent and rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes that ensure quality and sustainable development programming. The evaluation noted that the ETEP: …‘has been remarkably effective in building and maintaining a partnership among the many players in the eye care sector, both international and national; and in building and maintaining an effective relationship with the MoH and government of East Timor. There would be few programs that successfully brought together such an array of partners over a period of nearly two decades. Key informants strongly agreed that much of this success grew out of the commitment and support provided by long term advisors to the program and the continuity of oversight that they have contributed has been the core of the program since its inception.’
RACS Global Health has played a major role in enabling and supporting these partnerships through the management and administrative functions, and this continuity in management role has contributed to the stability. It is important to acknowledge the long history and the key roles of the personal and professional commitment of international visiting ophthalmologists and the trained eyecare professional in Timor-Leste in the development and implementation of the ETEP. Parallel to and interconnected with these programs has been a long-term and ongoing significant personal and professional commitment from a small team of ophthalmologists and optometrists, principally from Australia, Switzerland and Portugal. This has provided the direction and continuity of professional and institutional support to the program. Dr Nitin Verma, FRANZCO, has led the Australian support and engagement since the program was established. He conducted the first visiting eye health services to Timor-Leste following its independence from Indonesia. Since its establishment, the ETEP has engaged
support from a range of eyecare professionals, international training and ophthalmology institutions, and development agencies. This commitment has enabled and supported the progressive transition of the leadership, direction, and resourcing of the program from international eyecare professionals and international development funding to the Ministry of Health in the government of TimorLeste and to East Timorese eye care professionals. The ETEP is now focusing on the ongoing management and support of transition of the program to the Timor-Leste government and supporting integration of eyecare activities into the broader primary, secondary and tertiary national health programs and services.
