Regional Training Centers
To decrease avoidable visual impairment and blindness, the ICO and the ICOFoundation are working with other ophthalmic, public service and industry organizations to build ophthalmology training and eye care centers in Nigeria, China and Slovenia.
The ICO and ICOFoundation combined with Eli Lilly & Company to establish the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center in Beijing, China, in May 2007.
The Diabetic Eye Disease Center is working to prevent and treat diabetic eye disease by coordinated diabetic medical care and ophthalmic care, community outreach and diabetes-related education.
It offers:
- Educational materials to raise public awareness and aid patients with diabetes
- Urban outreach to 5,000 adult diabetics to provide care
- Rural outreach to 7,000 adults through 30 screening camps in Shunyi County
- Developing plans to establish a National Network of Provincial Eye Hospitals in China to provide sustainable, culturally-sensitive, medically effective eye care (research program planned for 2009–2012)
This Center was established with formal approval by Peking University, direction by Dr. Zhi-Zhong Ma (China), Executive Vice President of Peking University Eye Center, and leadership by Dr. Mark O. M. Tso (ICO Director for Education, United States) as the Honorary Director of the center.
With a population of 146 million, Nigeria is Africa’s most populous nation.
It also has one of the highest prevalence rates of blindness; an estimated 2 million blind and 5 million with disease-related visual impairment or uncorrected refractive error.
The ICOFoundation and the ICO are working with local ophthalmologist, Dr. Benedictus G.K. Ajayi, to identify needs and to implement training programs and assistance such as:
- Specialized training in corneal-anterior segment disease, cataract surgery and retinal surgery
- Network of Catholic Eye Hospitals and Clinics in Ibadan providing sustainable, population-based eye care to 2 million people, regardless of ability to pay
To advance the quality of ophthalmic education and eye care in developing countries in Eastern Europe, there is a need for ophthalmologists to be fully trained in subspecialties such as anterior ocular segment disease and surgery, glaucoma, oculoplastic surgery, retinal disease and surgery, pediatric ophthalmology and strabismus.
ICO/Alcon Ophthalmology Training Center Supported with a grant from the Alcon Foundation, this Training Center was established in 2008 under the leadership of Dr. Marko Hawlina and Dr. Brigita Drnovšek-Olup at University Eye Hospital in Ljubljana, Slovenia to address subspecialty training needs in the region.
- Fellowship training at the post-specialist level in cataract, oculoplastic or vitreoretinal surgery
- Two fellowships each year for one year in duration, including travel and expense stipend
- For more information and how to apply, see the ICO/Alcon Fellowship information on the Subspecialty Education page
The Regional Training Centers are supported by grants from and through the ICOFoundation. To learn more about the the ICOFoundation, visit www.icofoundation.org.
