Global Ophthalmology and Glaucoma Conference

Glaucoma is a major cause of blindness in India, which could be greatly reduced by early diagnosis, proper management and lifelong follow up. There as at least 12 million people in India affected with glaucoma and 1.5 million are blind from disease. A study conducted by National Programme for Control of Blindness, Directorate General of Health Services, Govt. of India, during the year 1999–2001, showed prevalence of glaucoma as 5.9% in blind people among 50+ age group. The Union Territory of Andaman and Nicobar Islands comprising 572 Islands, is situated in Bay of Bengal. Out of 572 Islands, only 38 islands are inhabited with the population of 3.79 lakhs comprising mainly people from different parts of India and tribal population. Few islands are tribal restricted islands. The capital city of Andaman and Nicobar Islands is Port Blair which is more than 1000 kms away from mainland India. In A&N islands, no blindness survey of population based study on glaucoma has done till date. According to population prevalence of glaucoma in 50+ group of general population should be approximately 10765, but islands differ is demographic pattern from the rest of the India. 240 glaucoma patients are registered and managed in eye OPD of one District Hospital with single ophthalmologist. Patients are diagnosed after proper investigations like vision recording by Snell’s charts, IOP by NCT and AT, CCT, Vongrafe’s Sign, Goinoscopy, Fundus examination for disevaluation and HFA (Carl Zeiss), OCT (Carl Zeiss) by single ophthalmologist. In the absence of ophthalmologist in different islands, early diagnosis and management of glaucoma is a real challenge. Intensive awareness campaign and training of PMOs helped in preventing blindness due to glaucoma in Islands.