PAEDIATRIC OPTOMETRY & REFRACTION
Ministry of Health of Mozambique
PRACTICAL TRAINING FOR QUICK RESULTS
Mozambique needs to rapidly increase its paediatric eye care capacity. Paediatric optometry is not adult medicine applied to children: it requires specific skills to deal with a stage of life marked by growth and development. Childhood visual impairment impacts on school performance, future prospects, road and general safety… Without proper correction in time, it has definite consequences as the development of the visual system takes place in the first 8-9 years of life.
This paediatric optometry and refraction course, carried out at the request of the Ministry of Health of Mozambique, is aimed at ophthalmologists and optometrists working in public institutions (hospitals, health centres, etc.). It is an intensive 8-week course (4 weeks theory + 4 weeks practice) given at the Central Hospital in Maputo, the country’s capital. The practical aspect of the course is key to enable the trainees to become quickly operational.
OBJECTIVES AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE TRAINING COURSE
- Knowing how to detect, treat and correct any alteration of refraction and ocular motility.
- Prescribe and carry out periodic checks of optical corrections (glasses, patches, etc.).
- Detect and refer pathologies to the appropriate specialist when required.
- Know how to organise a vision screening event and its subsequent assessment (e.g. in schools or health centres).
- The overall project has a duration of 5 years.
PHASE 1:
selection of the teaching team (2023-2024)
During the first two editions of the course, training of 12 students per year and selection of 2 to 4 of them to become the future teachers of the degree.
PHASE 2:
TRAINING OF THE FUTURE TEACHERS (2025-2026)
Training of the teaching team, together with the students of the course.
PHASE 3:
FINAL HANDOVER OF COMPETENCIES (2027-2028)
The local teachers will be joined by the OCULARIS teaching staff in the practical sessions until they are fully confident to transmit their knowledge without our help.
Partners
South
North
