MASTERS IN OCULOPLASTY
Faculty of Medicine (FM-UEM) in Maputo, MOZAMBIQUE.
Oculoplasty (eye plastic or orbito-facial plastic) is the subspecialty that deals with the eyelids, the orbit and the lacrimal and that includes a wide variety of surgical procedures treating the conditions in these structures, most importantly those to do with eye tumours, which must be diagnosed and treated early. Normally it is required to perform an evisceration (extract the contents of the eyeball) or enucleation (complete removal of the eyeball), after which the treated patient will need an eye prosthesis. For this reason we are always accompanied by our team of ocular prostheses to train local staff in this art.
“Oculoplasty is of vital importance, it is the only subspecialty of ophthalmology that saves lives”
Unfortunately, the number of local professionals trained in oculoplasty in Sub-Saharan Africa is practically nil, which implies that children die hopelessly without any type of palliative care, something unthinkable in our Western world for more than a century.
Since 2010, OCULARIS helps this country educate their professionals in this specialty. In 2020 we have begun to ESTABLISH IT as a masters study for their Faculty of Medicine (FM-UEM); see the PROJECT section below.
PROJECT
Creation and establishment of the First Master of this subspecialty, unique in the whole of Sub-Saharan Africa, for the Faculty of Medicine (FM-UEM, Maputo).
- PHASE 1 (2010 to 2019) Strengthened capacities of 20 ophthalmologists (15♀ and 5♂) and of resident doctors, as well as of their basic skills in operating rooms and consultations to be able to practice this specialty.
- PHASE 2 (2020) To train 3 of their future teachers (2♀ and 1♂), as well as to establish eHealth to train them digitally. To strengthen their skills in operating rooms and consultations.
- PHASE 3 (2021 to 2025) To train 3 students per course and complement the education of the 3 teachers trained in the previous phase. Planned until the end of the 3rd Part.
CONTEXT AND SITUATION IN MOZAMBIQUE
According to data from United Nations Mozambique (2019), the country is one of the 10 poorest and with the worst living conditions in the world, due to the war-time lasting more than twenty years, natural disasters, illnesses, high population growth, low agricultural productivity and an unequal wealth distribution. Its birth rate has been one of the highest in the world with an average of more than 5 children per mother (greater in rural areas) for more than three decades. The high sustained level of fertility reflects the inequality of gender, the low use of contraceptives, early marriages and maternity, the lack of education, especially among women.
Population
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
HDI Ranking
of a total of 189 countries
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Human Development Index (HDI)
%
MOZAMBIQUE
%
SPAIN
Inequality-adjusted HDI
%
MOZAMBIQUE
%
SPAIN
Life expectancy
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
GDP per inhabitant (€)
(Gross Domestic Product)
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Gender Development Index (GDI)
%
MOZAMBIQUE
%
SPAIN
VISUAL HEALTH CONTEXT
According to data from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB-OMS), the prevalence of blindness was estimated at 0.82% and poor vision at 3.38% in 2015, which equates to 99,378 blind people and 461,710 visually impaired, being decades of the ratio. To face these serious problems, they only have:
Blind people
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Ophthalmologists
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Ophthalmologists
per million inhabitants
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Optometrists
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Optometrists
per million inhabitants
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Eight of their ophthalmologists provide services at the capital Maputo, so that the rural regions of the country remain practically unattended. Furthermore, the reduced personnel is confronted with difficult work situations due to insufficient equipment of health structures, low pay and insufficient training and recycling, the latter being where we can do with help.
COLLABORATORS
SOUTH
NORTH
CURRENT FINANCING
PREVIOUS COLLABORATORS
