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Capacity-building through the COECSA-RCOphth LINK – linking journals in a training and mentorship programme

The College of Ophthalmology of Central, Eastern and Southern Africa (COECSA) [1] and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) [2] have a long-standing health partnership through the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme [3,4]. The LINK started a new project in 2019...

It’s not all about ARED - Time for a pragmatic approach to nutrition for eye health?

Advances in treatment for retinal diseases involving neovascularisation have undoubtedly changed the future of eye care across the UK for the better, but also created great challenges for service delivery in ophthalmology, particularly within the NHS. Some statistics are starting...

Ophthalmology in the developing world

After the second year of medical school, I spent my summer vacation working as a volunteer for a small Italian non-government organisation (NGO), named HEALTH-AID. As part of my volunteering experience, I joined a team of European doctors, medical students...

Ophthalmic learning through the lens of cognitivism and constructivism

Learning in ophthalmology is multi-faceted, from understanding the fundamentals of eye anatomy and physiology to higher order skills such as performing cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. Having a strong foundation in the basics is a necessity for higher order knowledge synthesis,...

Hot debates in medical retina and imaging: Perspectives from the Controversies in Ophthalmology 2020 virtual conference

Controversies in medical retina and imaging were debated during the Controversies in Ophthalmology 2020 virtual conference held during two mid-day scientific sessions on 27 and 28 March 2020. The author recounts key perspectives and presents viewpoint recommendations from the Vision...

“Steel True, Blade Straight”

Steven Kerr of the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh explores the medical career of Arthur Conan Doyle, his relationship with his mentor Joseph Bell and his fascination with ophthalmology. Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh on the...

Designing ophthalmology services - Part 1: How do we address the queues in a clinic?

This first of a three-part series shows how systems engineering can be used to correctly diagnose and address the causes of delays in a clinic. The second article, which will be featured in the April/May 2020 issue, describes how to...

Cementing a VISION 2020 LINK partnership between Blantyre and Liverpool – building capacity for DR services alongside research

Malawi is a small land-locked country in eastern Africa with a growing population of over 17 million people. About 45% of the population is aged 14 or under; only 5% are aged 60 or over. The gross national income per...

Building leaders for eye care in Africa: the COECSA-RCOphth VISION 2020 LINK

The VISION 2020 LINK [1] between the College of Ophthalmology of Eastern, Central and Southern Africa (COECSA) and the Royal College of Ophthalmologists (RCOphth) has been building leaders of eye care in Africa since 2008, when a Memorandum of Understanding...

VISION 2020 LINKS Programme: the Madagascar-Leeds LINK

Madagascar is a fascinating and culturally rich island which has an ‘exotic’ status in most people’s eyes. Yet it is among the poorest countries in the world. According to the World Bank, 92% of the population live on less than...