Not all is bad after
all
Blantyre Institute for Community Ophthalmology (BICO), Malawi
An amazing story for prevention of Blindness Programs
Dr Khumbo Kalua, Public Health Ophthalmologist, Malawi
A fractured Right arm
in 2013, and a survivor to a devastating burn covering a large part of the body
in 2014!!!! One wound think well this is really bad. Below is a story that may
make you believe God has a reason for my survivals.
In 2007, British Council for
Prevention of Blindness (BCPB) awarded Dr Khumbo Kalua from Malawi a PhD
Fellowship based at the London School of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, with field work on childhood blindness to be conducted
in Malawi. With this funding, Dr Kalua registered a local eye NGO named
Blantyre Institute for community Ophthalmology (BICO) in 2008 in Malawi and
employed one Research Project Assistant (Ruby). Between 2008 and 2011, Dr Kalua
worked very hard to see BICO grow.
7 years later (in 2014), BICO has become a prominent Eye NGO in Malawi, employing
6 graduate full time staff, and leading Research work on Trachoma. Currently BICO has collaborations
with several Eye-heath researches and program institutions in Europe, USA, Asia
and Africa, and has grants guaranteed until 2018. Some of the organisations collaborating and funding BICO include
the Kilimanjaro Centre for Community Ophthalmology, the London school of
Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the NTD support Centre (USA), International
Trachoma Initiative, Sightsavers, Wilde Ganzen (Netherlands), International Eye
Foundation, Bernhard Institute for Tropical Medicine (Germany), European Foundation for Neglected Tropical Diseases,
and the International Coalition for Trachoma Control(ICTC) .
In 2013, BICO spent thousands of dollars on research and programs alone.
BICO has published over 15 articles in peer reviewed journals over the last 4
years, and now Dr Kalua has been confirmed as an associate Professor at the College
of Medicine, University of Malawi. Dr Kalua also sits at the WHO Regional
(Afro) Committee as a technical advisor on Trachoma, and he is the external
Examiner for the Ophthalmology course in Botswana.
And have you heard that BICO is a Trachoma implementing partner in
Malawi for the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust Fund, managed by
Sightsavers? Well BICO is a member of the International Coalition for Trachoma
Control (ICTC).Actually I am in Paris attending the ICTC meeting, discussing about Trachoma in My country as see on the picture.
Who would have
imagined that a seed-corn funding from BCPB would lead to such an amazing story
within a short period of time?
Dr Khumbo Kalua
Director
BICO
Malawi.
God has been good to me. He makes me
want to serve him more.
Contact me at : director@bicomalawi.org
<a
href="mailto:director@bicomalawi.org">Email me!
</a><strong></strong><em></em>
Inspiring story Professor Kalua.
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