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Every year, thousands of premature newborn babies in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) are going blind because physicians lack the training, supplies, and equipment they need to prevent blindness. This epidemic of blind babies is emerging in SSA from Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP).
ROP was first recognized in the US and Europe when premature babies began to survive in newly created Neonatal Intensive Care Units (NICUs). Though survival rates increased, babies received excessive oxygen in these NICUs, which often led to blindness.
Today, developed countries benefit from multiple enhancements in NICUs and treatments for ROP, which have subsequently significantly reduced the incidence of blindness.
In developing countries in SSA, many new NICUs are being established. ROP is becoming a more common cause of childhood blindness as survival rates for premature infants increase, but oxygen is not regulated properly. At present, many countries in SSA lack the infrastructure and equipment necessary to reduce the incidence of ROP, provide proper screening, or treat it effectively.
The International Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Council (IPOSC), in partnership with the Children’s Eye Foundation of AAPOS, is seeking funding to develop protocols, educational materials, and screening techniques, as well as to provide equipment to neonatal centers in Africa for proper oxygen administration. This critically important initiative, once executed, will give many thousands of children the joy of sight for life.
By Stephanie Sartin posted on AAPOS Blog website (https://aapos.org/blogs/stephanie-marthens-sartin/2024/08/27/ktef-awards-350000-to-support-cef) 08-27-2024 07:34
The Children’s Eye Foundation of the American Association for Pediatric Ophthalmologists and Strabismus (AAPOS) has received funding from the Knights Templar Eye Foundation (KTEF) to support educational outreach programs. KTEF awarded $250,000 to CEF’s Stop Infant Blindness in Africa (SIBA) program, as well as $100,000 to the Global Education & Training program.
“The Children’s Eye Foundation of AAPOS is grateful to the KTEF for their continued support of pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus and the patients that receive care,” said Christie Morse, MD, executive vice president of AAPOS.
Stop Infant Blindness in Africa (SIBA) was created to prevent retinopathy of prematurity – one of the leading causes of childhood blindness – in Africa. KTEF’s support will help expand SIBA through sub-Saharan Africa, training additional physicians in treatment of retinopathy of prematurity and purchasing equipment for hospitals.
A previous KTEF grant helped SIBA implement retinopathy of prematurity programs at key locations: St. Francis Hospital Nsambya (Kampala, Uganda), the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital (Port Harcourt, Nigeria), and King Faisal Hospital (Kigali, Rwanda). KTEF funds were also used to send two doctors to Aravind Eye Hospitals in India for additional training, and more doctors will receive this educational opportunity in 2025.
“KTEF’s support is helping to change the lives of children,” Morse said.
