History and Current Status of Optometric Education in Africa

Abu, Sampson Listowell

doi:10.14434/hindsight.v51i4.31557

Cited by 9 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 5 publications

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“…Optometrists in both Nigeria and Ghana are licensed to provide comprehensive primary eye-care services, such as refractive error correction, contact lens fitting, pediatric vision and binocular vision anomaly management, diagnosis and management of disease in the eye, and the rehabilitation of conditions of the visual system [ 20 , 24 , 28 , 29 ]. Currently, only in both countries do optometrists in Africa complete a six year undergraduate professional Programme leading to the Doctor in Optometry degree [ 20 , 28 ], which empowers them to provide general eye care including the glaucoma diagnosis and other eye diseases. Presently, there are two optometry schools in Ghana [ 30 ] and seven in Nigeria [ 31 ] all offering the OD degree.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The study also identified the factors affecting the diagnosis of glaucoma among respondents. Although Nigerian and Ghanaian optometrists are the only African countries with the highest level of optometric education in Africa and the optometrists in these countries practice at the World Council of Optometry competency level four [ 20 ] which includes provision of glaucoma care; they may not be deliberately managing glaucoma with the preferred patterns of practice in mind. This study will provide evidence on the level of glaucoma diagnostic practice among optometrists from the region to inform planning, areas of practice improvement and sustainability.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Profiling and factors associated with glaucoma diagnostic practice in sub-Saharan Africa-a cross sectional study of Nigerian and Ghanaian optometrists

et al. 2023

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Background Ghana and Nigeria are the two countries in Africa that currently run the Doctor of Optometry (OD) program in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). Optometrists in these countries are licensed to provide glaucoma care. Despite the clinically relevant practice guidelines for glaucoma, there is no data on the practice patterns for glaucoma eye care in SSA, a region with the highest prevalence of glaucoma. This study aimed to profile glaucoma diagnosis adherence to practice guidelines among optometrists in two neighbouring anglophone countries (Nigeria and Ghana). Methods A web-based cross-sectional survey of practising optometrists was conducted in both countries. Each country data was weighted to reflect the total number of licensed and practising optometrists at the time of this survey. Descriptive analyses were performed against demography and practice factors using survey commands to adjust for sampling weights when estimating confidence intervals (CI) around prevalence estimates. Simple and multiple logistic regression analyses were performed to identify factors associated with glaucoma diagnosis. Results A total of 493 optometrists (238, 48.3% and 255, 51.7%) from Ghana and Nigeria respectively, responded to the survey-the first to document and compare the glaucoma diagnostic criteria between optometrists in Ghana and Nigeria. More Ghanaian than Nigerian optometrists diagnosed glaucoma and over 90% in both countries reported that they frequently performed either tonometry, visual field testing, or fundus examination during glaucoma diagnosis. Ghanaian optometrists were significantly more likely to diagnose glaucoma than Nigerian optometrists (adjusted odd ratio, AOR = 6.15, 95%CI:1.63–23.15, P = .007). Optometrists who have practiced for more than 10 years (AOR = 7.04; 95%CI:1.74–28.47, P = .006) and private practice optometrists (AOR = 3.33; 95%CI:1.13–9.83, P = .03) were more likely to diagnose glaucoma. Conclusions The study provides information for evaluating glaucoma assessment for optometrists in both countries. Optometrists in both countries are reasonably well-equipped to diagnose glaucoma and are practicing at an adequate level, but with room for improvement.

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Profiling and factors associated with glaucoma diagnostic practice in sub-Saharan Africa-a cross sectional study of Nigerian and Ghanaian optometrists

et al. 2023

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“…Some 80% of the SSA population uses traditional medicine, and although not backed up by scientific published knowledge, it is a fascinating field for health research [71]. The practice of folk/traditional, complementary and alternative medicines for NCDs and mental disorders in health care of SSA patients is a factuality but still not researched in depth [72], [73], [81].…”

Section: The Thriving Challenges Of Non-communicable Diseasesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Community Health of Children and Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa

Bell

Silva

Guina

et al. 2023

EJMED

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Health is central to the development of any country. Despite the efforts and goodwill of the United Nations, the goals established have not been successfully achieved and people in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) continue to strive with the same burdens of poverty, employment, malnutrition or hunger, inequality, environmental crisis, access to energy, conflicts and injustice. All these determinants drawback factors may be cause or consequence of a never-ending cycle with enormous impact on individual and community health. In SSA, policy makers, donors, healthcare providers, and academics have paid less attention to chronic diseases than to acute, communicable diseases. Despite severe dysfunctions, Public Health in this region, distinct from immediate medical services, is now engaged in endless struggles, against pathogens, modelling human behaviors, and searching for financing. Parental education, health and welfare, substandard literacy and language communication, access to material assets and other factors may all affect their ability to interpret hazards and risks in key areas of health and nutrition. While some 70% of deaths in Africa result from infectious and parasitic diseases, mortality rates from chronic diseases are higher in SSA than in other parts of the world. Children and adolescents in SSA in their livelihoods experience slow physical growing, inadequate observation and physical development, and a series of biological impairments that amplifies their risk of non-communicable diseases as they mature. Integrated strategies of sound health leadership and community-adapted initiatives are needed and probably engaged constructively with the private sector. Some ambitious new health goals take longer to achieve, but progress can be achieved in stages.

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“…9 A milestone event for the profession took place in 2022 when the first ever scope of practice for optometrists in Kenya was published 9 and registration of practicing optometrists through a regulatory board – Kenya Health Professions Oversight Authority (KHPOA) was initiated. These suggest that although optometry training in Africa began nearly a century ago, 10 in Kenya, the profession is still in its infancy, but evolving. The majority of the optometrists are registered with the Optometry Association of Kenya (OAK), founded in 2009.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Barriers to the Diagnosis and Management of Keratoconus Among Optometrists in Kenya

Rashid,

Moodley,

Mashige

et al. 2024

OPTO

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Background Early diagnosis and management of keratoconus (KC) are important for limiting visual complications of the disease. This study aimed to explore the perspectives of optometrists on the barriers to effective diagnosis and management of KC in Kenya. Methods An online questionnaire was distributed to optometrists in Kenya to collect data on barriers to the diagnosis and management of KC. Results The majority (60.9%) of optometrists were confident in retinoscopy and subjective refraction. Fewer were confident in the use of keratometers (46.4%) and corneal topographers (24.9%) and in the fitting of rigid gas permeable (RGP) contact lenses (25.0%). The most commonly reported barriers to improving their knowledge and skills were, limited continuous professional development opportunities (87.4%), high costs of conferences (86.1%) and the lack of diagnostic tools (79.5%). Impediments cited to diagnosing and managing KC effectively were a lack of national guidelines (64.9%), patient education material (71.5%), equipment (58.9%) and RGP supply (68.2%) and cost (67.5%). Most commonly reported barriers related to patients were compliance (91.4%), affordability (90.7%), RGP discomfort (89.4%), willingness to pay (88.1%) and the lack of patient education about KC (87.4%). Conclusion This study showed that the lack of national guidelines, essential equipment and adequate practitioner knowledge and skills were barriers to KC diagnosis and management. Regulation of optometric education and clinical practice, development of national guidelines for diagnosis and management of KC, up-skilling of practitioners and cost-effective solutions for equipment procurement and maintenance may improve both access to, and quality of, care to patients with KC.

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History and Current Status of Optometric Education in Africa

Cited by 9 publications

References 5 publications

Profiling and factors associated with glaucoma diagnostic practice in sub-Saharan Africa-a cross sectional study of Nigerian and Ghanaian optometrists

Profiling and factors associated with glaucoma diagnostic practice in sub-Saharan Africa-a cross sectional study of Nigerian and Ghanaian optometrists

Community Health of Children and Adolescents in Sub-Saharan Africa

Barriers to the Diagnosis and Management of Keratoconus Among Optometrists in Kenya

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