The Ayounkon project: visual impairment, eye diseases and unmet eye care needs in the Syrian refugee population and the hosting community in Lebanon.

Aim: To report on the distribution of eye diseases, aetiologies of severe visual impairment/blindness (SVI/BL) and unmet eye care needs of the Syrian refugee population and the Lebanese host community.

Methods: This retrospective study analysed the data of patients that were examined during the Ayounkon project -an eye health care project offering medical and surgical treatment for Syrian refugees and Lebanese host community in the Bekaa Valley in Lebanon. The project took place in three different primary health care centres and involved cooperation between several NGOs and ophthalmologists working on a voluntary basis.