Tanzania–No More Blind Babies

We are beyond grateful to everyone who helped bring Dr. Nelson Swai to Scottsdale, Arizona to participate in Ophthalmology Simulation Training at the Red Rover Ventures Eye Simulation Center. Dr. Swai is the first ophthalmologist from Sub-Saharan Africa to train in the Eyesi ROP (Retinopathy of Prematurity) Simulator in the US.

We don’t really know how many children in the continent of sub-Saharan Africa are born premature and survive to suffer blindness since most of them succumb to infant or neonatal death due to lack of neonatal care. Recent reports of children examined in Uganda show ROP is a hidden epidemic and a growing cause of global blindness in children.  We need trained ophthalmologists like Dr. Swai to take on this challenge in Africa.  We need collaboration to document the magnitude of blindness due to ROP.

When I was a retina fellow at Associated Retinal Consultants in Royal Oak Michigan, Dr. Michael Trese, predicted teaching ROP — “to use the indirect ophthalmoscope” and “apply indirect laser” would be among the greatest skills for global health.

We are beyond grateful to Alro Steel, the Alvin L Glick Foundation, and the Glick Family in my hometown of Jackson, Michigan for supporting this endeavor.  In addition, our GRI patients,  Haag-Streit, and Marshal Dial, played a monumental role in the entire simulation cener.

We are grateful for the partnership with Focus led by Dr Daniel Alter MD, PhD who identified Dr. Swai for an observership in the US.

The challenge to train as many ophthalmologists to identify and treat ROP and prevent blindness is monumental; it will require patients, corporations, industry and retina physicians paying it forward to bend the arc.