The "Vision Myanmar Programme" is a collaboration between the South Australian Institute of Ophthalmology and the Yangon Eye Hospital. The programme aims to enhance the training of eye surgeons from Myanmar and Australia and ultimately to enhance the care of patients in both countries.

Consultant eye surgeons from the Institute travel to Myanmar for a two week period every year to share their knowledge of current diagnostic and management techniques with the Myanmar surgeons. The most successful way to train an eye surgeon, however, is to offer "fellowship" training in subspecialty areas of the profession. We have trained two eye surgeons from Myanmar in advanced retinal surgery and senior trainees from Adelaide have spent time at Yangon Eye Hospital, learning surgical techniques to which they have little exposure back home.

Vision Myanmar goes further than this, with close collaboration on clinical research projects and public eye health programmes. Doctors from both countries are currently working together to raise the awareness amongst the people of Myanmar of the blinding complications of diabetes on the eye, an ever-increasing problem in urban centres all over the world.