News of the ICO, Ophthalmology and Vision:

Recent News

International ophthalmology news headlines:

• Progress in the Fight Against Trachoma
  
  
• ICO Offers New Research Primer, More Research Resources
  
  
• ICO Medical Student Handbook now in six languages
  
  
• 2010 World Congress in Berlin
  
  
• Support for Diabetic Education
  
  
• Implementation of Curricula for ophthalmic education
  
  
• ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery
  
  
• New Curriculum for Ophthalmic Medical Assistants
  
  
• ICO Clinical Guideline for HIV/AIDS
  
  
• Francisco Contreras Receives G.O.H. Naumann Award

(Also see:

• the Latest News
• the most recent ICO Leader Letter)

Progress in the Fight Against Trachoma

Significant progress in the fight against Trachoma is shown in a recent WHO report, Trachoma: Global Magnitude of a Preventable Cause of Blindness, published in the British Journal of Ophthalmology.

Now 40.6 million people are estimated to be suffering from active trachoma, down from an estimated 84 million in 2003. Success in implementing the SAFE control strategy, more accurate data, and socio-economic development are among the reasons for the improvement. The full article is available at: bjo.bmj.com/content/93/5/563.full.

The Alliance for the Global Elimination of Blinding Trachoma by the year 2020 (GET 2020), met recently in Geneva and to track progress and plan for the future. The group reviewed the progress of some 45 countries with endemic Trachoma including three countries - Ghana, Morocco and Oman - whose recent campaigns now seem to have successfully eliminated Trachoma. The ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery was also adopted at the meeting.

The ICO Declaration, archive.icoph.org/pdf/icotrichiasis.pdf (PDF - 644 KB), reaffirms the importance of trichiasis surgery to treat Trachoma. Also available is the ICO International Clinical Guideline on Trachoma: archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOTrachoma.pdf (100 KB).

ICO Offers New Research Primer, More Research Resources

The ICO Research Committee, lead by ICO Director for Research, Alfred Sommer, MD, has a new tool to assist beginning ophthalmic researchers: Clinical Research: A Primer for Ophthalmologists. This simple outline, or "primer," provides rudimentary guidance to the essential components of clinical research and may stimulate readers to seek more detailed, formal training.

According to Dr. Sommer, this publication was designed, "For those interested in delving into the basic epidemiologic and statistical principles and techniques underlying clinical research."

Visit archive.icoph.org/pdf/PrimerClinicalResearch.pdf to download Clinical Research: A Primer for Ophthalmologists.

More about this primer and a list of other research resources is available in the July (09) ICO Leader Letter.

ICO Medical Student Handbook now in six languages

The ICO Medical Student Handbook contains tables of core knowledge and key ophthalmic disorders to assist medical students.

Now in Arabic, Azerbaijani, Chinese, English, French and Spanish, the Handbook features descriptions and color pictures of the different causes of red eye and the common causes of acute loss of vision. This pocket-sized booklet summarizes the key points in ophthalmology and is designed for medical students to be portable and easy-to-use.

The Handbook is available for download at the links below:

• archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOMedicalStudentArabic.pdf
  (Arabic - 1 MB)
• archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOMedicalStudentAzerbaijani.pdf
  (Azerbaijani - 1 MB)
• archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOMedicalStudentChinese.pdf
  (Chinese - 812 KB)
• archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOMedicalStudentEnglish.pdf
  (English - 830 KB)
• archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOMedicalStudentFrench.pdf
  (French - 1 MB)
• archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOMedicalStudentSpanish.pdf
  (Spanish - 812 KB)

The Handbook was created by professors Sue Lightman and Peter McCluskey for the ICO Task Force on Undergraduate Medical Education. Please share this valuable resource with your members and any educators or medical students who may find it useful.

WHO Supports Action Plan on Prevention of Visual Loss

On January 21, the Executive Board of the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended endorsement of the Draft Action Plan for the Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment at the World Health Assembly in Geneva in May.

The Draft Action Plan was prepared in collaboration with WHO Regional Offices, Member States and international partners — the result of a three-year effort to increase support for prevention of visual loss around the world. The Action Plan is available at archive.icoph.org/pdf/WHOActionPlan.pdf.

During the meeting, the following Executive Board members gave statements on the Plan: UK, Peru, Niger (on behalf of the African Region), Oman, the People's Republic of China, United Arab Emirates, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, USA, and Indonesia, followed by representatives of non-Board members: Saudi Arabia, Thailand and Venezuela.

In December, the ICO asked societies in countries represented on the WHO Executive Board to contact their representatives on the Board and urge them to support adoption of the Plan. The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) sent a similar request to their members.

"Thanks to everyone for this concerted effort," commented ICO President Bruce E. Spivey, MD, "particularly HRH Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud, Abdulaziz AlRajhi and the Eastern Mediterranean Region and Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology team who were instrumental in the long process leading to the success of this vote."

2010 World Congress in Berlin

The next World Ophthalmology Congress® will be June 5 – 9, 2010, in Berlin, hosted by the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and co-hosted by the German Academy of Ophthalmology (AAD).

2010 WOC President Gerhard Lang, MD, reported to the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) in Hong Kong on plans for the Congress, which will incorporate XXXII World Ophthalmology Congress, the 108th Congress of the DOG  and AAD 2010.

2008 WOC Scientific Program Director Stephen Ryan, MD, will work with Professor Gabriele Lang, MD, on the scientific program for Berlin, with Congress General Secretary Anselm Kampik, MD, organizing the program for the AAD. The 2010 WOC will also offer subspecialty days and instruction courses.

The main social event will be a Bavarian-style Octoberfest, to be called the WOCtoberfest. For more information, see www.woc2010.org.

The World Ophthalmology Congress was previously held in Germany in Heidelberg in 1888 and Munich in 1966.

Support for Diabetic Education

At the launch ceremony for the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center (above), Sidney Taurel, Lilly chairman and chief executive officer, announced an additional grant of $US 35,000 from Lilly to the ICO Foundation for a related Global Diabetes Education Program.

The ICO Diabetes Education Program will help develop diabetic retinopathy prevention and treatment as well as education materials in local languages for diabetes patients, nurses and ophthalmologists.

At the same time, Lilly is launching a nationwide diabetes education campaign in China. The campaign will invite 900 diabetes experts from 30 key cities in China to give lectures on diabetes knowledge and education through 30 radio channels. The goal is to promote diabetes awareness and knowledge and to improve the diagnosis and treatment level of diabetes throughout China.gs will prove to be a groundbreaking event for ophthalmology and eye care in Africa."

Focus on Implementation of Curricula

ICO Education Director Mark Tso, MD, reports that there has been an enthusiastic reaction to publication and distribution of four ICO curricula:

• Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Education of the Ophthalmic Specialist (PDF - 2.4 MB)
  
  
• Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Ophthalmic Education of Medical Students (PDF - 2.1 MB)
  
  
• Principles and Guidelines of Curriculum for Para-ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education (PDF - 2.2 MB)
  
  
• Principles and Guidelines of a Curriculum for Continuing Medical Education in Ophthalmology (PDF - 2.1 MB).

The Education Committee has formed seven international Task Forces that will focus on stimulating implementation of these curricula and enhancing ophthalmic education in other ways. National ophthalmologic societies are encouraged to translate the curricula as needed and adapt them for use in their countries.

ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery

The International Council of Ophthalmology announces the ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery: archive.icoph.org/pdf/icotrichiasis.pdf (PDF - 644 KB).

With this declaration, the ICO aims to reaffirm the importance of trichiasis surgery to treat trachoma and to encourage ophthalmologists around the world to ensure the quality of trichiasis surgery through appropriate training and supervision.

As part of the global effort to eliminate blinding trachoma by the year 2020, governments and NGOs have ramped up their trachoma activities significantly over the last few years. Many programs have trained medical officers and medical assistants to do the bulk of this surgery. Reports of variations in the outcome of this surgery continue to emerge and it is important to assure surgery is done to an appropriate standard.

The ICO Bahrain Declaration on Trachoma and Trichiasis Surgery was proposed by the ICO at the MEACO Congress in Bahrain in March (2009), was officially adopted by the ICO Board of Trustees, and has been endorsed by the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) Board of Trustees.

The ICO International Clinical Guideline on Trachoma is available on the ICO website: icoph.org/guide/trachoma.html. The trachoma guideline can also be downloaded as a PDF file (100 KB).

New Curriculum for Ophthalmic Medical Assistants

A new International Core Curriculum For Ophthalmic Assistants is now available: archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOCurriculumOMA.pdf (PDF - 2 MB).

It focuses on five core competencies: Patient care; Medical knowledge; Professionalism, Interpersonal and Communication skills; Technical and Scientific skills; and Community and Health Services. The competencies are organized into three sections: Introduction to Ophthalmology, Basic Skills, and Advanced Skills.

The curriculum was developed by the ICO and the International Joint Commission on Allied Health Personnel in Ophthalmology (IJCAHPO), written by Dr. William Astle, Chair of the ICO Task Force on Para-Ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education; and Lynn Anderson, Executive Director of IJCAHPO.

We are interested in hearing your comments on this new curriculum.

You may also want to refer to the previously published Principles and Guidelines of Curriculum for Para-ophthalmic Vision Specialist Education, which has examples of curricula for community and hospital-based personnel, orthoptists and ophthalmic technicians. That curriculum is available here: icoph.org/pdf/icocurricpara.pdf. (PDF – 2.2 MB)

We encourage ophthalmologic societies and residency programs to reproduce, translate and adapt these curricula as needed to enhance ophthalmic education in all regions of the world.

New ICO Clinical Guideline for HIV/AIDS

A new ICO Clinical Guideline on HIV/AIDS in the Eye is now available on the ICO Web site and can be downloaded from archive.icoph.org/pdf/ICOHIVAIDS.pdf (PDF - 500 KB).

"This new clinical guideline will be a terrific addition to the current ICO Guidelines, which serve as an outstanding resource for practical clinical information for the international ophthalmic community," said Richard L. Abbott, MD, ICO Director for Guidelines.

"This new Guideline breaks ground as the first evidence-based clinical guideline published on HIV/AIDS in the eye."

"I would like to acknowledge the considerable cooperation and hard work of the authors: Nikolas J.S. London, MD; Rubens N. Belfort, Jr., MD, PhD; and Emmett T. Cunningham, Jr., MD, PhD, MPH; as well as the reviewers: Gary Holland, MD; Fernando Arevalo, MD; and Carlos Pavesio, FRCS," Dr. Abbott said.

The ICO Clinical Guidelines are designed to be translated and adapted by ophthalmologic societies to help ophthalmologists assess how they are treating patients. They are intended to serve a supportive and educational role and ultimately to improve the quality of eye care for patients.

Francisco Contreras Receives G.O.H. Naumann Award

Francisco Contreras, MD

Dr. Francisco Contreras of Peru has been chosen as the recipient of the 2009 G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership and Global Eye Care.

Dr. Contreras' encouragement of national ophthalmologic societies in Latin America, and his work on prevention of blindness and recoverable vision restoration for various socio-economic levels in the region, have earned him this well-deserved recognition. Prevention of visual loss has long been a heartfelt pursuit for Dr. Contreras and he has inspired many others to make it their commitment as well. Latin America and world ophthalmology are fortunate to be the beneficiaries of his work and dedication.

The Naumann Award is given annually to an ophthalmologist who has made a significant contribution to global eye care in his or her community in an effort to promote educational programs and establish service models for other societies.

View Dr. Contreras’ presentation in PowerPoint: archive.icoph.org/ppt/FCNaumannAwardOct2009.pps (PPT – 11.7 MB).

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