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The International Centre for Eye Health: weaving the global threads together

The VISION 2020 LINKS & Networks Programme has been writing regular articles in Eye News about its capacity-strengthening activities in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) for more than a decade. This, the first International Issue, is a landmark for Eye...

Tackling diabetic retinopathy globally through the VISION 2020 LINKS Diabetic Retinopathy Network

It is abundantly clear that the burden of diabetes is rapidly increasing, as there are now 415 million adults with diabetes in the world, with a projected rise to 642 million by 2040 [1]. This equates to 1 in 10...

Strengthening eye care services in Botswana through the Botswana-Addenbrooke’s Abroad VISION 2020 LINK

The VISION 2020 LINK between Botswana and Addenbrooke’s Abroad has been running for 10 years. With support from the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme two-way exchange visits were undertaken leading to the formation of the first formal international partnership under Addenbrooke’s...

Glaucoma-NET: a novel way of improving glaucoma management in sub-Saharan Africa

Background Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide [1]. People with untreated glaucoma suffer from irreversible, progressive loss of sight. The disease is characterised by progressive loss of visual field, with pathological cupping of the optic disc...

Enhancing glaucoma awareness and management in Nigeria – from grass roots to national policy development

This is the second in a series (see Part 1 here) of three articles about strengthening eye health services in Nigeria through collaboration with the LINKS and Networks run at the International Centre for Eye Health, LSHTM. This article highlights...

Ophthalmic Aid to Eastern Europe (OAEE)

Peter Cackett, Tim ffytche and Dr Irina Gout reflect on historic ophthalmic aid sent to Eastern Europe. This article was written prior to the horrific events in Ukraine. An appeal for funds and equipment may be made by OAEE later...

How do you solve the problem of trachoma in Ethiopia?

Background Trachoma is one of the oldest diseases known to humankind and the leading infectious cause of blindness worldwide. Spread by the bacterium chlamydia trachomatis, it is transmitted through contact with the eyes, eyelids and nose of those infected. The...

The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness: How ICEH maintains the cornerstone of global eye health data

In this paper we will discuss The Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB), a survey methodology that has become the single largest source of population eye health data globally. The origins of RAAB The RAAB is a rapid, population-based survey...

Building capacity in eye health: A story of partnerships and collaborations

In the evolving landscape of global eye health, partnerships and collaborations have been instrumental in driving capacity building and professional development. The impact of strategic alliances like VISION 2020 LINKS and the Diabetic Retinopathy Network (DR-NET) cannot be overstated, as...

Strengthening diabetic retinopathy services in Nigeria through DR-NET – from grass roots to national policy development

This is the third article in a series (see Part 1 and Part 2) reflecting on how shared learning via networks of UK and international eye health professionals is contributing to reducing unnecessary blindness in Nigeria. Earlier articles focused on...

Building Capacity for Children’s Eye Care in Africa: the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme

This article follows the Correspondent News articles in the previous five print issues of Eye News [1-5] on the VISION 2020 LINKS Programme [6]. This article describes how African and UK eye care teams are working together to tackle childhood...

VISION 2020 LINKS Programme and DR-NET World Sight Day Workshop

World Sight Day (WSD) was celebrated globally on 8 October 2020 [1]. From Australia and the Pacific to the Americas, via Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, awareness-raising and advocacy activities took place throughout the day, to focus attention on unnecessary...