Global Pediatric Ophthalmology Congress

Biography

Biography: Frank Sandi

Abstract

Of recently, Pediatric Ophthalmology is a growing field as new advances and techniques are progressively discovered with regard to childhood blindness and its management. Most developed countries are at better position of offering comprehensive pediatric eye care services but in most of the developing countries this field is lagging behind and is given less attention despite the significant impact of blind years in children. Most of the blindness and visual impairment in children in developing countries are either preventable or treatable such as vitamin A deficiency, congenital cataract, corneal opacities, Retinoblastoma, trauma, congenital glaucoma etc. These are the majority of cases seen in developing countries. Despite these challenges in provisional of quality pediatric eye care there is a huge opportunity for government of developing countries to wake up and take pediatric blindness seriously by having a strategic document to increase human resource and develop pediatric eye care centers within each province/region and later on to trickle down to community level. This can be done in collaboration with development partners and other stakeholders in eye care industry such as sight savers, HKI and others. In Tanzania for example there are only three centers which offer pediatric eye care services which are not evenly distributed. This is very few for a country of approximately 50 million populations. This is an unacceptable ratio of pediatric eye care facilities. This will need advocacy and political will to change the current situation given the high demand of pediatric eye care services within the country.