Dhangarhi

This research aims to evaluate whether providing a one-day eye health orientation to Female Community Health Volunteers FCHVs increases the number of patients visiting Vision Centers in rural Nepal. The study focuses on FCHVs in Dipayal Silgadhi Municipality and compares their impact to FCHVs in neighboring municipalities without this training. These volunteers play a key role in connecting communities with eye care services, but the actual effectiveness of such training remains unclear. The study involves 58 FCHVs in Dipayal Silgadhi who will receive a four-hour eye health orientation session delivered by a trained Ophthalmic Assistant. The session covers common eye diseases, early detection, prevention, and available eye care services. The volunteers will also receive referral materials like slips, pamphlets, and posters. A comparison group of 91 FCHVs from other municipalities will not receive this orientation. Participants will be followed for one year, with monthly collection of referral slips and patient data including age, gender, visual acuity, diagnosis, and travel distance. Knowledge assessments of FCHVs will be done before and after training. The main measurement is the change in patient visits to Vision Centers, comparing intervention and non-intervention groups. Data will help understand if the orientation improves referral rates and access to eye care, guiding future training programs.