The Gambia – Swansea vision 2020

An image of a young person being held by his mother whilst having his eyes tested by a Orthoptist in Gambia

Since February 2008 Swansea Ophthalmology Department has been linked to the Sheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Centre. This establishment is the apex institution for eye disease not only in The Gambia but for seven of the world’s poorest countries in West Africa as part of the Health Care for Peace initiative.

Members of Singleton orthoptic department have visited the Gambia on numerous occasions, as part of multi-disciplinary teams providing teaching, advice and support with clinical work. Orthoptists have trained eye nurses and optometrists in testing vision in children, assessing eye movements and detecting squints. Singleton orthoptic department has also hosted Gambian eye health professionals on their visits to Swansea. The latest visit to the Gambia was in November 2019.

An image of two people from Gambia smiling at the camera