BEGIN:VCALENDAR VERSION:2.0 PRODID:-//wp-events-plugin.com//7.2.3.1//EN TZID:Europe/Amsterdam X-WR-TIMEZONE:Europe/Amsterdam BEGIN:VEVENT UID:3441@worldglaucomaweek.org DTSTART;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam;VALUE=DATE:20200308 DTEND;TZID=Europe/Amsterdam;VALUE=DATE:20200315 DTSTAMP:20200320T134608Z URL:https://www.worldglaucomaweek.org/activity/world-glaucoma-week-activit ies/ SUMMARY:World Glaucoma Week Activities DESCRIPTION:REPORT OF THE WORLD GLAUCOMA WEEK (WGW) 2020 HELD BY DE-LENS OP HTHALMICS\, FAMILY EYE AND VISION CARE CENTRE ABUJA\, NIGERIA.\n8TH -14TH MARCH 2020.\n\nIntroduction.\nDe-Lens Ophthalmics Family Eye and Vision Ca re Centre\, a reputable eye clinic in the city of Abuja\, joined the world to celebrate the World Glaucoma Week (WGW) in a memorable way. The WGW is an annual event specifically meant to sensitize and educate the public ab out the “Silent thief of sight” known as Glaucoma and to encourage eve ryone to get tested.\nGlaucoma is generally known to be a group of disease s that causes damage to the optic nerve\, (which serves as channel for vis ual impulses from the eyes to the brain)\, causing progressive vision loss and ultimately blindness. It is also known that this damage is very subtl e in most cases\, and irreversible.\nGlaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness globally\, and the leading cause of irreversible blindness\, accounting for 8% of all blindness\, affecting over 3 million blind people in the world. The burden created by this disease is enormous\, of which l ack of awareness or perhaps ignorance contributes significantly to this in creasing burden. That is why the WGW is characterized by events or activit ies aimed at creating awareness\, educating the people and sensitizing the m about this peculiar enemy of sight.\nDe-Lens Ophthalmics as usual did no t fall short in adding her amplified voice in this campaign\, as she organ ized several activities throughout the week. Activities included:\n• Enl ightenment programs and talk shows in media houses (TV and radio houses\, National dailies)\n• Free screenings within her facility and outside her facility.\n• Inaugural ceremony of the Glaucoma Support Group (GSG) the first of its kind in the northern part of Nigeria with an area of 20\,131 km2 and over 90 million people.\nDetails of the activities are presented below:\n1) ENLIGHTENMENT PROGRAMS AND TALK SHOWS.\nDe-Lens Ophthalmics pla yed guest in notable TV\, radio and Newspaper houses during the WGW. De-Le ns team ably led by Dr. Damian Echendu (CEO)\, was on Raypower 99.5 FM to give a talk on Glaucoma\, as a way of public enlightenment. He stressed on the need for regular eye check\, as that is one of the most effective way to mitigate this increasing burden of blindness caused by glaucoma\, noti ng that early detection is key to effective management of glaucoma. He als o encouraged favorable government policies as regards the cost of eye care in the country\, as the financial burden seen in the management of glauco ma contributes significantly to prevalence of blindness due to the disease .\nThe presence of this team was also felt in African Independent Televisi on (AIT)\, were similar talk was given and screening of their staff therea fter. This was not all\, the team took this awareness\, enlightenment and screening campaign to a sections of the community who commonly finds it di fficult to access quality eye care due to their very busy schedule\, such places includes the commercial centers like Commerce Plaza\, Area 1 Garki. The children were not left out\, an enlightenment talk was given to pupil s and teachers of Catherina Academy located in Dutse Alhaji area of FCT. S pecial time was also made available by doctors within De-Lens facilities t o screen and educate scheduled and walk-in patients about glaucoma.\n2) FR EE SCREENINGS\nAs it was said earlier that prompt detection of glaucoma is key to effective management\, De-Lens team carried out series of free gla ucoma screenings within and outside her facility. The screening tests carr ied out included history taking\, visual acuity testing\, funduscopy and I ntra Ocular Pressure (IOP) measurement.\nBelow are details of the screenin g processes:\na) Screening at Commerce Plaza Area 1 Garki\, Abuja on 9th M arch\, 2020.\nAfter the enlightenment talk at the venue\, a total number o f Eighty-three (83) persons were screened\, aged from 18 to 65 years with a mean age of approximately 38years. Total number of males were 75 (90%) a nd female 8 (10%)\, with male to female ratio of 9:1. Thirty-two (32) part icipants were referred to the clinic for further examination ranging from suspected glaucoma case (63%) to refractive error (16%) and ocular hyperte nsion (6%). Other suspected cases included retinitis pigmentosa (3%)\, cho rioretinal scar (3%)\, Cataract (3%)\, Diabetic retinopathy (3%).\n\nb) Sc reening at African Independent Television (AIT) on 12th March 2020.\nA tot al number of Seventy-four (74) participants were seen at the TV station\, 56 males (76%) and 18 females (24%)\, with age ranging from 20 – 69 year s having a mean age of approximately thirty-nine (39) years. Twenty-five ( 25) participants were told to visit the clinic for further investigations due to suspicion of glaucoma (60%)\, ocular hypertension (16%)\, refractiv e error (12%)\, cataract (4%)\, retinal lesion (4%) and peripapillary atro phy (4%).\n\nc) Screening of pupils and teachers of Catherina Academy on 1 1th March 2020.\nA total of 35 pupils and 2 teachers were screened in our facility. Age of pupils ranged from 8 – 11 years\, with mean age of appr oximately 9years. Seven (7) participants were advised to return to clinic for further tests for glaucoma (57%) and refractive error (43%).\n\nd) Scr eening within the two clinics branches from 9th to 14th March 2020.\nDurin g the WGW\, De-Lens Ophthalmics threw the doors of both branches open for the public to come for glaucoma screening. Banners\, fliers and verbal ann ouncements were done to ensure that the public is aware of the free screen ing. The two branches located at different strategic points within the cit y screened a total of 41 participants\, 20 males and 21 females\, with age s ranging from 22 – 54 years with an approximate mean age of 31years. Tw enty-six participants needed to return to the clinic for further examinati ons for reasons of glaucoma suspicion (42%)\, refractive error (31%) and o ther eye conditions (27%).\n\n3) INAUGURATION OF DE-LENS GLAUCOMA SUPPORT GROUP (GSG)\nThe WGW had no better way to end this year\, other than with the inauguration of the Glaucoma Support Group (GSG). The idea of setting up this group according to De-Lens Ophthalmics stems out from three basic reasons which includes\,\n• firstly\, it’s to allow patients to meet t heir health care professionals in a relaxed atmosphere\, away from the tim e restricted atmosphere on outpatients\, so the condition and treatment ca n be discussed in more depth.\n• secondly\, as part of our corporate soc ial responsibility to help raise awareness for glaucoma\, which is the sec ond leading cause of blindness worldwide and\n• thirdly\, to Increase gl obal accessibility to knowledge and eye-care and compliance with drugs use d in managing glaucoma as well as to propagate\, practice and support glob ally accepted glaucoma diagnosis and management protocol.\nThe inauguratio n ceremony held on the 14th of March\, 2020\, with the attendance of relev ant stakeholders which included the chairman of the Nigerian Optometric As sociation (NOA)\, FCT chapter\, a great team of doctors\, individuals leav ing with glaucoma\, De-Lens Eyecare Ambassador 2020\, the media (electroni c and print)\, and De-Lens team. A total of twenty (20) persons were in at tendance\, an opening speech was made by the chief convener Dr Damian Eche ndu\, welcoming all present. A PowerPoint presentation was delivered by Dr Obinwanne Chukwuemeka\, which focused on the need for the GSG and how rel evant it is in our clime. Questions and comments were taken after the pres entation.\nThe inauguration proper was done as Dr Echendu assisted by chai rperson of the NOA\, as well as relevant stakeholders unveiled the lapels for the GSG and pinned on each other.\nA survey was done with the help of questionnaires to ascertain if participant enjoyed being part of the group and how good was the content of the program. The response was great\, as all participants enjoyed being part of the group and rated the content ver y good. Other questions asked included how often the group should meet\, a nd what ideas could improve the group. Response from participants showed t hat 80% wants the group to meet quarterly and other ways to improve the gr oup includes:\n• Getting it registered with relevant authorities as soon as possible.\n• Regular sharing of information relating to glaucoma\n • Creating a website for the group\n• Involving in regular campaigns a nd outreaches\n• Partnering with other stakeholders in eye care\n• Pro viding free medications to those who can’t afford it\n• Voluntary dona tions\n• Educating eye care practitioners on proper management of glauco ma\nCompiled by:\nDr Osazee Agbonlahor (OD\, MPH)\nHead: Eye-care and Ocul ar Diagnostics\nDe-Lens Ophthalmics Abuja.\n\nNote: Attached are some of t he photographs and more information is available by following this link ht tps://delensng.com/de-lens-ophthalmics-marks-world-glaucoma-week/ ATTACH;FMTTYPE=image/jpeg:https://www.worldglaucomaweek.org/wp-content/upl oads/2020/03/IMG-20200317-WA0049-rotated.jpg CATEGORIES:Other END:VEVENT BEGIN:VTIMEZONE TZID:Europe/Amsterdam X-LIC-LOCATION:Europe/Amsterdam BEGIN:STANDARD DTSTART:20191027T020000 TZOFFSETFROM:+0200 TZOFFSETTO:+0100 TZNAME:CET END:STANDARD END:VTIMEZONE END:VCALENDAR