Abstract

DO.26.04

Ophthalmology in Nigeria

Ulrich-Peter Best, Harry Domack, Viktor Schmidt

Augenklinik und Augenlaserklinik Mainfranken, Schweinfurt

Objective
Eye diseases are a major health problem all over the tropics. Especially in Third World Countries Ophthalmology plays a more important role than in our Western World, in Third World Countries there are more eye diseases than in the West. The higher prevalence of eye diseases is facing less treatment options. The main causes of global blindness are cataract, glaucoma and trachoma. Most of the blindness is either preventable or treatable.
Methods
Modern phaco- and laser technologies are entering the operating theaters of the Third World. The adoption of these new procedures causes new problems: the learning curve, the appropriate know how, the necessary hardware and software support, the postoperative aftercare. Furthermore their surgical numbers are impressing. The world’s biggest Eye Hospital, Aravind Eye Hospital Madurai in South India, performs a total of 200.000 cataract surgeries annually.
Last year the author had a short-term assignment in ECWA Eye Hospital Kano, Nigeria, as free lance specialist of Christoffel-Blindenmission. The Hospital is involved in the training of “Diplomats in Ophthalmology", a modified training program in West Africa, shouldered by CBM. During their two-years-training the “Diplomats” are circulating between different hospitals, in each hospital they stay for six months. After finishing they return back to their country of origin and work in their hospital of origin.
Results
There are many interesting cases, which are rare in Europe, cases like buphthalmus, Burkitt’s lymphomas of the orbit, retinoblastomas, Mooren`s ulcers, anterior staphylomas due to Vitamin A deficiency or trauma, trachomatous trichiasis getting tarsal plate rotations (Trabut), (unsuccessfully) couched eyes, congenital cataracts and glaucomas, corneal lacerations and perforations, corneal burns due to harmful traditional eye medicines, lid hemangiomas, mucoceles and painful blind eyes.
Conclusions

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