After the previous editions of this event in Cape Verde, Mozambique and Angola, this year Sao Tome and Principe was the host of the 4th Edition of the Luso-African Ophthalmology Meeting, which took place on the 5th and 6th of October.
The opening session was attended by Mr. Paulo Freitas, president of IMVF, Doctor Júlio Barros Andrade (former chairperson of the Medical Association of Cape Verde), Doctor Manuela Carmona (SPO president), Doctor Silvia van-Dunem (director of the Ophthalmology Department of the Luanda General Hospital) and Doctor Edgar Neves, a physician and IMVF member.
At this meeting, IMVF and the Portuguese Society of Ophthalmology (SPO) took expertise to local physicians, enabling them to diagnose the most common eye diseases, as well as to minimise the lack of care that exists in this area of medicine. The training sessions focused mainly on the use of the ophthalmoscope, to observe the retina, and SPO offer 10 ophthalmoscopes for distribution in the Hospitals and Health Centres, so that they are better equipped to respond.
On day 6th took place the closing ceremony and the overall assessment of the meeting was very positive because Portuguese ophthalmologists and Sao Tome and Principe doctors were joined together, some to convey their knowledge others to learn, with a common goal: help the population of São Tomé improve their eye health.