Implementation period: December 2024 to August 2026

Presentation and description:

The V.E.R – Netwoork Vision aims to promote advances in the eye health of the Brazilian population through the expansion of access and the adoption of innovative digital methodologies. For this purpose, a platform will be developed which can be integrated into the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) interfaces and existing health policies, in addition to incorporating new technologies to identify vision problems with Artificial Intelligence (AI), by means of the eye health card, with the potential for adoption throughout the entire national territory. For this reason, a pilot project will be carried out in the municipality of Serra Talhada, in Pernambuco.

In this way, the project acts locally with four main objectives:

1. Consolidate eye health in Primary Health Care through a digital platform

Through the identification and training of key professionals in the health system, the project will expand its role in more comprehensive public health policies and strategies. This will allow the promotion of initiatives to prevent the aggravation of eye problems based on free digital solutions, as the digital methodology used is capable of determining the risk of visual impairment in the general population.

2. Optimize the management and regulation of waiting lists for eye health care

Through risk stratification and use of telemedicine-based protocols, health managers will be able to optimize service and priority queues, improving the system’s efficiency.

3. Strengthen eye health through the Health in Schools Program

V.E.R also aims to strengthen the eye care initiative within the scope of the Programa Saúde nas Escolas (Health in Schools Program), expanding the provision of care to the school community, including student children and adolescents, as well as educators. More than 12 thousand students and 500 teachers of Serra Talhada public education system are expected to directly benefit from the program.

4. Create the “Digital Eye Health Card”

This platform interface will be patient-facing, enabling better communication between users and the health system and empowering users with their eye health data. This tool will also facilitate access to the patient’s ophthalmological data for various health professionals, strengthening the management of eye health care in the entirety of SUS.

Through these initiatives, the project aims to transform eye health in Brazil, using digital technologies and telemedicine to reach more inclusive, accessible and prevention-oriented public health.

Beneficiary description:

The beneficiary of this initiative is the municipality of Serra Talhada/PE.

Municipalities served:

Pernambuco: Serra Talhada.

To access the interactive map with all the municipalities supported by the Together for Health program, click here.

The project is supported by Together for Health, a BNDES initiative, in partnership with private donors, with the goal of gathering resources to expand access to public healthcare for the population in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil.

Executor

The Fundação Altino Ventura (Altino Ventura Foundation – FAV) is a philanthropic entity based in Recife/PE, recognized for its excellence, leadership and commitment in the field of ophthalmology. It has been accredited by SUS since 1992 to offer specialized medical services, serving patients from all regions in the North and Northeast of Brazil. In addition, FAV has also become a reference in the training of ophthalmologists, offering postgraduate and specialization courses in this field. Throughout its history, FAV has developed several projects of great social impact, in partnerships with institutions such as the Ministry of Health (installation of nine low vision care centers in the North and Northeast regions of Brazil), the OneSight Foundation (eye health care program for more than 60 thousand students in the municipal education system of Pernambuco State), as well as Lions International, Rotary International and the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).

Supporters

The National Bank of Economic and Social Development (BNDES) is a federal public company linked to the Ministry of Development, Industry, Trade and Services. It is the Federal Government’s main instrument for long-term financing and investment in all segments of the Brazilian economy, with the aim of improving the lives of generations, promoting economic, social and environmental development. It operates throughout the country, from its office in Rio de Janeiro (RJ), where its activities are concentrated, with official headquarters in Brasília (DF) and regional offices in São Paulo (SP) and Recife (PE).

Umane is an independent, non-partisan and non-profit civil society organization that promotes initiatives in the field of public health with the aim of contributing to a more resolute Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS) and improving the quality of life of people living in Brazil. Umane operates through three programs: Comprehensive Care for Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases (DCNT), with initiatives to control risk factors, screening, expanding access to health and monitoring risk factors in Primary Health Care; Strengthening of Primary Health Care (APS) as the coordinator of care in SUS, through support for initiatives aimed at improving operations, team productivity, integration of services and the incorporation of new technologies into the health system; and the Women’s, Children’s and Adolescents’ Health program, funding programs that track and monitor unfavorable outcomes during pregnancy and health conditions of children and adolescents in the context of Chronic Non-Communicable Diseases and risk factors.

Manager

IDIS – Institute for the Development of Social Investment, is a civil society organization founded in 1999 and pioneer in technical support to social investors in Brazil. With the mission to inspire, support and promote strategic philanthropy and its impact, they serve individuals, families, companies, corporate and family run institutes and foundations, as well as with civil society organizations, in actions that transform realities and contribute to the reduction of social inequality in the country. Their actions are based on the tripod of generating knowledge, offering advisory and developing social impact projects that contribute to the strengthening of the ecosystem of strategic philanthropy and of giving culture.

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