This Eye Care Awareness Month, UKZN’s chief specialist and academic head of the Ophthalmology Division, Dr Nombuso Mathe, brought hope to the lives of many children suffering from the condition in low- and middle-income countries and their families, where there is significant limitation and availability of Paediatric Glaucoma management skills services.
A glaucoma specialist by training, Mathe has been appointed as Voluntary Faculty for the esteemed Global organisation, Orbis International, which – in partnership with the University Teaching Hospital Lusaka (UTHs-EH) – facilitated training that will help to change the narrative of paediatric sight impairment and blindness from glaucoma.
Not only a newly appointed member of the Women Leaders in Eye Health Global Advisory Council, Mathe is also the first South African female to be Voluntary Faculty for Orbis International’s educational platform, Cybersight.
Her recent hospital-based training (HBT) programme visit to Zambia concluded in a stimulating Cybersight webinar that attracted 458 participants from 100 countries, where she shared a practical approach to the juvenile patient who suffers from the dreaded disease of glaucoma.
More common in older adults and the leading cause of irreversible blindness globally, glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve.
The optic nerve sends visual information from your eye to your brain and is vital for good vision. Damage to the optic nerve is often related to high pressure in your eye. However, glaucoma can happen even with normal eye pressure.
Attendees engaged Mathe on examination and diagnosis, the medical and surgical management, and potential challenges in managing cases of juvenile patients, including some of the ethical considerations faced in the management of this vulnerable group.
During her visit to Zambia, Mathe was able to impart much-needed clinical and surgical skills that will be transformative for the care of paediatric glaucoma patients in the country, and Malawi. She also had the opportunity to contribute to registrar teaching in this multidisciplinary longitudinal blended learning initiative, which included paediatric anaesthesia training.
She said: ‘Paediatric glaucoma, whilst rare, is a complex, devastating condition that is often missed or diagnosed late in children, especially in Africa. The impact of this disease is lifelong, and without surgical management, children may not have a chance to develop and maintain vision for the duration of their lives. A focus on screening that is integrated into paediatric healthcare initiatives is critical, and may assist in early diagnosis and management.’
The HBT programme strategically enhances the clinical and surgical skills of glaucoma specialists who focus on the paediatric population. It also provides collaborative engagement between African surgeons, and a platform for continuous mentorship.
Mathe is an undergraduate and postgraduate alumnus of UKZN and is an advocate for the improvement of the delivery of eye-care services, as well as the teaching of eye care professionals in KwaZulu-Natal.
Words: Lunga Memela