The African Glaucoma Consortium: Stakeholders United

Who We Are

The African Glaucoma Consortium is a group of doctors, scientists, administrators, and healthcare industry professionals working together to provide high-quality, low-cost healthcare for people with glaucoma in Africa. Most of our members are African ophthalmologists working daily to treat glaucoma and prevent blindness. Others are global health scientists committed to helping the African eye care community develop and implement strategies to reduce glaucoma blindness throughout the continent. We also have health care administrators, government workers, and healthcare industry partners among our membership.

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How we're making an impact

Our Mission is to reduce the burden of glaucoma blindness in Africa by creating consensus among stakeholders, building sustainable, regional capacity to deliver high quality, low cost care, and fostering demand for this care in communities.

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Getting Started

In early 2017, a series of research studies were published demonstrating the effectiveness of laser therapy for glaucoma in people of African descent in both Africa and the Caribbean region. The researchers of these studies began a series of conversations to explore the feasibility of expanding access to glaucoma therapy throughout Africa.

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Taking Action

A series of conference calls with approximately a dozen African ophthalmologists led to a live meeting in Helsinki, Finland in June 2017. More than 40 people attended the meeting, most of them ophthalmologists practicing throughout sub-Saharan Africa. In this meeting, barriers to care were identified and committees formed to explore each barrier and proposed solutions. A follow-up meeting was held in August 2017 in Kampala, Uganda to review each committee's progress and focus future efforts. In 2018, the AGC will ratify its founding bylaws and elect its first slate of officers.

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Our Goals

  • Improve access to quality glaucoma care throughout Africa
  • Train new providers and upskill existing providers to deliver high-quality eye care
  • Identify best clinical practices for glaucoma care through the conduct of high-impact outcomes research
  • Unite the African glaucoma community to reduce blindness throughout the continent