Comstech, IsDB & LRBT partner to train African ophthalmologists in fight against rising blindness

ISLAMABAD: In a collaborative effort to address the growing challenge of blindness in OIC African member countries, COMSTECH (OIC Ministerial Standing Committee on Scientific and Technological Cooperation), the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), and the Layton Rahmatullah Benevolent Trust (LRBT) Hospital have joined hands to launch a comprehensive training program for ophthalmologists of African OIC member states, says a Press release.
This one-year training program aims to equip 18 doctors from Burkina Faso, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Mozambique, Somalia, and Togo with advanced skills in treating Glaucoma and Diabetic Retinopathy.
The training takes place at the LRBT Hospital in Korangi, Karachi, a renowned non-profit organization dedicated to preventing blindness and providing high-quality eye care. LRBT’s extensive experience, coupled with COMSTECH’s leadership in science and technology cooperation, and IsDB’s AFAB (Alliance to Fight Avoidable Blindness) program, creates a powerful alliance to combat this critical health issue.
The program focuses on both medical and surgical treatments for pediatric and adult patients, empowering these doctors to become leaders in eye care upon returning to their home countries. This will significantly enhance local capacities to prevent and treat blindness, transforming lives and communities.