Zahid Ahmed Butt.
Public Health and Ophthalmology in Pakistan: opportunities and challenges.
Al-Shifa J Ophthalmol Jan ;9(1):06-7.

The interaction of Public health and Ophthalmology has given rise to another field of public health known as Public Health Ophthalmology, Ophthalmic Public Health, Preventive or Community Ophthalmology 2. The main focus of this field is preventive, curative and promotive activities in relation to the delivery of eye care. The preventive aspect of Public Health Ophthalmology focuses on laboratory as well as epidemiologic research aimed at identifying high risk populations for specific eye diseases. The second component which is curative should not only focus on curing the eye disease but also have proper screening programmes, patient motivation techniques and availability and accessibility of surgical facilities embedded in the component. The third component which is primarily educational and promotes health through educating people to; 1) improve personal hygiene, 2) eat nutritious diet including dark green leafy vegetables high in beta carotene especially for young children and 3) create awareness about eye diseases and corrective surgery for such ailments. In effect, to reduce the burden of eye diseases and blindness, a public health perspective is required in ophthalmology to measure the extent of eye diseases, to characterize the unique risk factors that each poses and to develop effective and practical approaches to prevention and treatment (Truncated)

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