International eye health: a 20-year perspective

Abstract

Clare Gilbert has worked as a clinical ophthalmologist for more than 10 years and has an MD in Surgical Retina. She is Professor of International Eye Health at the International Centre for Eye Health and has been a Medical Advisor to Sight Savers International since 1995. Since January 2006, Clare has been Co-Director of the International Centre for Eye Health. Clare is in overall charge of the research undertaken by the Centre and is a member of the School’s ethics committee. Over the last 10 years, the eye group has given technical support for national surveys in Bangladesh, Pakistan and Nigeria, and continues to support the implementation of effective eyecare worldwide. Clare’s recent projects include a national study of the prevalence and causes of blindness in children in Bangladesh, with an emphasis on childhood cataract, and a cohort and nested case–control study of retinopathy of prematurity in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to establish screening criteria and to explore risk factors. Ongoing projects include a study to explore the effectiveness of low-vision care for children in three countries in Asia and an intervention study to assess the impact of training neonatal nurses on the outcomes of neonatal care in Brazil, including retinopathy of prematurity.

Financial & competing interests disclosure

Sightsavers contribute towards Clare Gilbert’s salary and she has been a recipient of research grants from Sightsavers. The author has no other relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript apart from those disclosed.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.