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Child Eye Health Tertiary Facilities in Africa

Pankaj Kumar Agarwal1, Richard Bowman, Paul Courtright

  • 1Tennent Institute of Ophthalmology, Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Journal of AAPOS : the Official Publication of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus
|July 7, 2010
PubMed

Insights

Child Eye Health Tertiary Facilities in Africa show resource variability and low patient numbers, despite covering 197 million people. Strengthening these facilities requires investment in personnel and referral programs.

Area of Science:

  • Ophthalmology
  • Global Health
  • Pediatric Eye Care

Background:

  • International guidelines recommend 1 Child Eye Health Tertiary Facility (CEHTF) per 10 million people in developing nations.
  • The current status of CEHTFs in Africa regarding resources, training, and services is not well-documented.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the manpower, facilities, training, and output of CEHTFs in Africa.
  • To identify gaps in supportive services for CEHTFs in Africa.

Main Methods:

  • A survey was distributed to all CEHTFs across Africa.
  • Comprehensive questionnaires were sent, with 21 out of 27 (77.8%) facilities responding.

Main Results:

  • Significant variability in resources, including manpower, training, infrastructure, equipment, and refractive services, was observed.
  • The mean population catchment area was 9.42 million, with wide variations in surgical output for congenital cataract, strabismus, and other conditions.
  • The presence of dedicated optometrists, childhood blindness coordinators, and anesthetists correlated with higher surgical output; a 1.26:1 male-to-female surgery ratio was noted.

Conclusions:

  • Despite covering 197 million people, the 21 CEHTFs provided services to a low number of children.
  • Additional CEHTFs may be needed in some countries, while others may not be large enough to sustain one.
  • Investment in manpower (optometrists, coordinators), referral programs, and financial support mechanisms is crucial for strengthening existing CEHTFs.
Abstract

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