POSTGRADUATE DEGREE IN PEDIATRIC OPTOMETRY
Faculty of Health Sciences (FCS-UNILURIO) In Nampula, MOZAMBIQUE
Unfortunately, the number of local trained professionals in pediatric optometrics in Sub-Saharan Africa is practically nil, which implies that most of the infant population has no type of visual health care, something unthinkable in our Western world for more than a century. Since 2010, OCULARIS has helped this country train their professionals in this specialty; in 2019 we began to ESTABLISH IT as a postgraduate’s degree; see the PROJECT section below.
PROJECT
Creation of the FIRST POSTGRADUATE in this speciality, the only one in the whole african country, for the Faculty of Health Sciences (FCS–UNILURIO, Nampula), which will be guaranteed by the Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC, Barcelona).
PHASE 1 (2019): Prospection and signature of the collaboration agreement.
PHASE 2 (2020 a 2025):
- 1st Edition (2020) – Postgraduate officialization, training the future 6 theachers (3♀and 3♂). Bespoke implementation of the eSalud platform to train them digitally. Strengthening their skills in operating rooms and consultations.
- To the 5th Edition (2025) Training of 3 students per course and support the teachers trained in the previous phase. Planned until the end of the 5th edition.
CONTEXT AND SITUATION IN MOZAMBIQUE
According to data from the Mozambique United States (2019), the country is one of the 10 poorest and with the worst living conditions on 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, and the lack of education, especially among women.
(Gross Domestic Product) % % % %
Population
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
GDP per inhabitant (€)
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Human Development Index (HDI)
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Inequality-adjusted HDI
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Life expectancy
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
HDI Ranking
of a total of 189 countries
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Gender Development Index (GDI)
%
MOZAMBIQUE
%
SPAIN
VISUAL HEALTH CONTEXT
According to data from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB-WHO), 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 of 0.15% of our country. To face these serious problems, they only have:
Blind people
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Optometrists
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Optometrists
per million inhabitants
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Ophthalmologists
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
Ophthalmologists
per million inhabitants
MOZAMBIQUE
SPAIN
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.
CURRENT COLLABORATORS
SOUTH
NORTH
CURRENT FINANCING
