A Comprehensive Approach To Glaucoma Care

Impacting All Aspects of Care

Glaucoma in Africa is a complex problem with many interconnected parts. To reduce glaucoma blindness in this region, we must first better understand the nature of the problem by conducting epidemiological research. We must also establish and equip glaucoma treatment centers throughout Africa and train the doctors and staff to provide sight-saving care. We can then develop and implement treatment strategies to prevent glaucoma blindness. Further research will evaluate the effectiveness of these strategies and allow us to fine-tune our approach.

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Our Three-Part Mission

The AGC's approach to reducing glaucoma blindness has three key components: clinical care, education, and research. Click on the icons below or scroll down to read more about each of these parts of the solution.

Woman testing man's eyesight
Clinical Care

Clinical Care

Clinical care of patients with glaucoma lies at the heart of the AGC’s mission. Glaucoma cannot be cured, but it can be treated. Therapy for glaucoma can take the form of eyedrop medications, laser therapy, or surgery. Treatment can effectively delay or prevent further damage and vision loss. We aim to equip clinics throughout Africa with the tools and supplies needed to detect and treat glaucoma. Over time, we will develop an integrated network of Glaucoma Centers of Excellence providing sight-saving treatment for patients with glaucoma throughout the continent.

Education

Education

Education is a fundamentally important part of the solution to Africa's enormous glaucoma problem. Patients must be educated to get screened for glaucoma and the importance of therapy to prevent blindness. Eye doctors and their staff require education on the optimal use of diagnostic and therapeutic tools for glaucoma management. Primary care doctors should be trained to recognize the risk factors for and early signs of glaucoma and to include vision health in comprehensive patient care. Government health agencies must appreciate the optimal allocation of scarce resources to most effectively preserve ocular health.

Team of eye doctors in Africa
Looking in microscope
Research

Research

Knowledge is power. The research arm of the AGC is a member-driven research team committed to bettering our understanding of glaucoma in Africa. Research is needed to better understand the prevalence and severity of glaucoma in the many regions of Africa, to develop better screening methods so glaucoma can be detected early and vision saved, and to design and test new treatment approaches specific to glaucoma in Africa. In addition, collaborations with genetics researchers may reveal the reason why glaucoma is so common in Africa, and may present novel approaches to treatment and maybe, someday, a cure.