Browsing by Subject "Primary eye care"

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    Open Access
    Knowledge and practices of primary eye care among non-ophthalmic nurses working in Kweneng East District Clinics, Botswana.
    (2025) Motswakadikgwa, Neo Ruth; Minnies, Deon; Tsekane, Boitumelo
    Background: Primary eye care (PEC) is important in preventing and managing eye conditions, particularly in rural areas where access to specialized care is limited. Aim and Setting: The study aim was to assess the primary eye care knowledge and practices of non-ophthalmic nurses in Kweneng East District clinics, Botswana. Methodology: A descriptive cross-sectional study design, with quantitative methods of analysis was used. The study sample was selected using both systematic and convenience sampling methods. A self-administered questionnaire was developed and provided to 195 consenting non-ophthalmic nurses from 36 clinics. The completed questionnaires were collected, data captured and analyzed using both descriptive and inferential statistical methods. Results: 39.1% of all participants scored correct responses on knowledge of identification of common eye conditions. The overall proportion of correct management responses for all participants was 37.9%, while for correct PEC practices the proportion was 56.3%. The study found a significant relationship between professions (P=0.04), years of experience (P=0.03), and primary care training (P=0.05) and knowledge of primary eye care conditions. Conclusion The study found that knowledge, management, and practices of primary eye care was inadequate among non-ophthalmic nurses in the Kweneng East District. There is a need for continuous professional development, refresher training, and curriculum adjustments in nurses' education to enhance PEC services in the region. Contribution: The study will inform how to improve PEC services in the country.
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    Open Access
    Setting targets for human resources for eye health in sub-Saharan Africa: what evidence should be used?
    (BioMed Central, 2016) Courtright, Paul; Mathenge, Wanjiku; Kello, Amir B; Cook, Colin; Kalua, Khumbo; Lewallen, Susan
    With a global target set at reducing vision loss by 25% by the year 2019, sub-Saharan Africa with an estimated 4.8 million blind persons will require human resources for eye health (HReH) that need to be available, appropriately skilled, supported, and productive. Targets for HReH are useful for planning, monitoring, and resource mobilization, but they need to be updated and informed by evidence of effectiveness and efficiency. Supporting evidence should take into consideration (1) ever-changing disease-specific issues including the epidemiology, the complexity of diagnosis and treatment, and the technology needed for diagnosis and treatment of each condition; (2) the changing demands for vision-related services of an increasingly urbanized population; and (3) interconnected health system issues that affect productivity and quality. The existing targets for HReH and some of the existing strategies such as task shifting of cataract surgery and trichiasis surgery, as well as the scope of eye care interventions for primary eye care workers, will need to be re-evaluated and re-defined against such evidence or supported by new evidence.