Optometry in Ethiopia

Carlson, Anthony

doi:10.4102/aveh.v67i1.180

Cited by 4 publications

(4 citation statements)

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“…Although there is 1 eye care professional for every 6700 people in the United Kingdom, 4 in parts of Africa the ratio is closer to 1:1 000 000. 5,6 Whereas 70% of those living in the United Kingdom own glasses or contact lenses, 7 up to 94% of those requiring glasses in sub-Saharan Africa do not have access to corrective eyewear. 8 …”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

The Child Self-Refraction Study

He¹,

Congdon²,

Mackenzie³

et al. 2011

Ophthalmology

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Objective To compare visual and refractive outcomes between self-refracting spectacles (Adaptive Eye-care, Ltd, Oxford, UK), noncycloplegic autorefraction, and cycloplegic subjective refraction. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Chinese school-children aged 12 to 17 years. Methods Children with uncorrected visual acuity ≤6/12 in either eye underwent measurement of the logarithm of the minimum angle of resolution visual acuity, habitual correction, self-refraction without cycloplegia, autorefraction with and without cycloplegia, and subjective refraction with cycloplegia. Main Outcome Measures Proportion of children achieving corrected visual acuity ≥6/7.5 with each modality; difference in spherical equivalent refractive error between each of the modalities and cycloplegic subjective refractive error. Results Among 556 eligible children of consenting parents, 554 (99.6%) completed self-refraction (mean age, 13.8 years; 59.7% girls; 54.0% currently wearing glasses). The proportion of children with visual acuity ≥6/7.5 in the better eye with habitual correction, self-refraction, noncycloplegic autorefraction, and cycloplegic subjective refraction were 34.8%, 92.4%, 99.5% and 99.8%, respectively (self-refraction versus cycloplegic subjective refraction, P<0.001). The mean difference between cycloplegic subjective refraction and noncycloplegic autorefraction (which was more myopic) was significant (−0.328 diopter [D]; Wilcoxon signed-rank test P<0.001), whereas cycloplegic subjective refraction and self-refraction did not differ significantly (−0.009 D; Wilcoxon signed-rank test P = 0.33). Spherical equivalent differed by ≥1.0 D in either direction from cycloplegic subjective refraction more frequently among right eyes for self-refraction (11.2%) than noncycloplegic autorefraction (6.0%; P = 0.002). Self-refraction power that differed by ≥1.0 D from cycloplegic subjective refractive error (11.2%) was significantly associated with presenting without spectacles (P = 0.011) and with greater absolute power of both spherical (P = 0.025) and cylindrical (P = 0.022) refractive error. Conclusions Self-refraction seems to be less prone to accommodative inaccuracy than noncycloplegic autorefraction, another modality appropriate for use in areas where access to eye care providers is limited. Visual results seem to be comparable. Greater cylindrical power is associated with less accurate results; the adjustable glasses used in this study cannot correct astigmatism. Further studies of the practical applications of this modality are warranted. Financial Disclosure(s) Proprietary or commercial disclosure may be found after the references.

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confidence: 99%

The Child Self-Refraction Study

He¹,

Congdon²,

Mackenzie³

et al. 2011

Ophthalmology

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“…The first program was set up in 2005 at the University of Gondar in Gondar, north of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital city. 12 The Department of Optometry, which is administratively under the Faculty of Health Sciences, also offers a Master's in Optometry degree. The optometry program at the University of Gondar came into being through the joint efforts of Mrs. Gemma Peters, a UK-trained optometrist, and ORBIS International, a non-profit organization committed to saving sight around the globe.…”

Section: Ethiopiamentioning

confidence: 99%

History and Current Status of Optometric Education in Africa

Abu¹

2020

Hindsight

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Over the last decade, 16 new optometry programs have been established across Africa and there are efforts to set up additional training institutions in the future. Also, existing optometry programs are undergoing modifications to offer an international standard of optometric education and training. This paper focuses on the history and further assesses the current status of optometric education on the continent of Africa. Additionally, optometric education in Africa is compared to North American training programs. Challenges facing optometric programs in Africa are highlighted with recommendations to address them.

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“…Others have reported on the establishment of institutions and educational training in Nigeria, 3,4 South Africa, 5Y7 Ghana, 8,9 and Ethiopia. 10 However, more recently, optometry education on the continent has been evolving at a faster rate, and there have been changes in the programs offered at various institutions. The history and current status of optometry education in African countries are presented here and update the past reports.…”

Section: Historical Background Of Undergraduate Educationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The program produces an average of 16 optometrists per year for a national population of about 87 million. 10 The Department was set up by Mrs. Gemma Peters, an optometrist from England, in collaboration with an American nonprofit organization, ORBIS. The initial optometry teaching faculty consisted of two lecturers, Mrs. Peters and Ruhan du Plooy.…”

Section: Ethiopiamentioning

confidence: 99%

Optometric Education in Africa

Oduntan

Mashige²,

Kio³

et al. 2014

Optometry and Vision Science

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The African continent, with a population of more than one billion and 55 recognized developing countries, is still grappling in some countries with socioeconomic and other challenges inherent in developing countries. The continent is working toward a single political entity known as the African Union, and development is taking place faster than ever in most countries. The continent is known to have high levels of health problems, including visual impairment and blindness. Most nations in the continent are making efforts to reduce the scourge of health problems including visual impairment and blindness. Visual impairment in the continent is mostly caused by refractive errors. Consequently, optometry can help reduce the prevalence of visual impairment on the continent. The educational programs currently offered by the different institutions include Diploma in Optometry (DipOptom), Bachelor of Optometry (BOptom), and Doctor of Optometry (OD). There are 17 established institutions offering optometry degree programs on the continent, of which 14 are fully accredited. Considering the optometric manpower needed in the continent, more optometry institutions need to be established. Staffing and infrastructural and training facilities are major challenges facing the majority of the existing institutions. There is also a need to place greater emphasis on postgraduate education to meet the institutional, national, and international professional training standards and to ensure sustainability of optometry education. This article addresses the historical development, educational issues, challenges, and needs, as well as recommendations, for improving the standard and sustainability of optometric education.

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Optometry in Ethiopia

Abstract: No abstract available

Cited by 4 publications

References 0 publications

The Child Self-Refraction Study

The Child Self-Refraction Study

History and Current Status of Optometric Education in Africa

Optometric Education in Africa

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