The Academy of Eye Care Excellence and the American University of Science and technology (AUST) will host a series of workshops offering academic training for eye care professionals in Beirut.

The course will take place on April 27 and 28, at the AUST campus.

Conducted by Helmer Schweizer, head of professional affairs distributor franchise, Alcon Vision Care EURMEA and Dr Tarek Mahmoud, professional marketing manager, Alcon Vision Care ME, the course is designed to provide eye care professionals and eye care retailers advanced clinical and business management strategies to ensure the highest standards of patient care in the region.

“The academic training comes as part of our strategic partnership with the Academy of Eye Care Excellence to further contact lens research and education collaboration and to elevate eye care practices in the region to international standards,” said Dr Hiam Sakr, AUST president.

There are approximately 800 million people worldwide who are blind, severely visually impaired or have near vision sight loss, according to estimates by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.

Of these, 45 million people are blind and 269 million are significantly visually impaired; an additional 517 million people require visual correction for reading and other close up activities.

Dr Mahmoud said that 80 per cent of blindness is treatable and/or preventable and normal vision could be restored with contact lenses or glasses.

“A total of 145 million people have low vision due to uncorrected refractive errors and in most cases, regular eye exams, glasses or contact lenses could transform the lives of millions of people,” he added.

The Academy for Eyecare Excellence is an initiative by Ciba Vision which is now part of the Vision Care Unit of Alcon, a Novartis Company.

“The goal of Alcon Vision Care, the worldwide leader in pharmaceuticals for the eye, is to be a trusted partner with eye care professionals,” said Dr Mahmoud.

“Through the Academy for Eye Care Excellence, we have a global commitment to share our knowledge and expertise to support clinical professionals in the Middle East. Our strategic alliance with AUST gives us the ideal platform to deliver on our commitment to the region,” he concluded. – TradeArabia News Service