Increasing sustainable cataract services in sub-Saharan Africa: an experimental initiative
نویسندگان
چکیده
To begin to meet the need for cataract surgery in sub-Saharan Africa, the cataract surgical rate (CSR) should be at least 2,000 to 3,000; i.e. there should be 2,000-3,000 cataract operations per million population, per year. The current levels are below 1,000 (and often much lower). Sub-Saharan Africa poses a unique set of challenges: low population density; inadequate transportation systems that inhibit access; big differences in wealth; and a shortage of eye care resources (which are usually concentrated in larger cities). Additional issues relate to productivity, the supply chain and the quality of outcomes,1 all of which contribute to the low cataract surgical rates. It is in this context that the Hilton Foundation sought to enhance cataract surgical services in sub-Saharan Africa, through the Hilton Cataract Initiative.
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