Search

The article offers information on the Saint John Eye Hospital in east Jerusalem. It is stated to be a bridge for peace in a world at war. It serves as the main center for specialized eye care in the West Bank, Gaza, and east Jerusalem. The eye hospital started in 1882, and was then located in Ottoman Empire Jerusalem. It closed in 1914, during World War I, but reopened in 1919. It is said to be the only public hospital in the region specializing in ophthalmology. It is stated to place a high priority on training local doctors and nurses. Patients are predominantly Palestinians. The hospital operates a number of satellite clinics in areas where public services are not easily available. It works to eliminate the main causes of preventable blindness.

The article presents policy statements adopted by the Governing Council of the American Public Health Association on November 1, 1995. Included in the policy statements are opposition to anti-immigrant statutes, improving access to vision and eye health services for long-term care facility residents, support for disabilities prevention activities, promotion of quality fitted mouthguards for oro-facial injury prevention, public health and community electronic networks, and full employment and public health.