Ophthalmologists, national associations in Argentina join WGA, WGPA initiative

Buenos Aires, Argentina-World Glaucoma Day (WGD) and World Glaucoma Patient Association (WGPA) activities in Argentina included open-clinic days in private and public institutions in addition to free control routines in public spaces such as shopping centers, city government areas, religious or community centers, and sport clubs. To spread information to the general population, a number of conferences and educational talks for patients were held, as well as a media campaign based on TV and radio.

Free IOP measurements were provided at hospitals/glaucoma services near Buenos Aires, including: Hospital de Clínicas, Hospital Durand, Hospital Oftalmológico Pedro Lagleyze, and Hospital Oftalmológico Santa Lucía. Educational conferences for patients were held at Hospital Santa Lucía and Hospital Durand.

In highly populated areas around the capital city, IOP measurements were provided at the Hospital General Interzonal de Agudos Evita Pueblo (Berazategui) and the Centro Asistencial Sábato (Berazategui). Some private institutions joined the initiative, including Sampaolesi Medical Center, Quilmes Eye Center, and Luis Pasteur Medical Center.

At the national level, similar activities were organized in the city of Mendoza (Province of Mendoza, Dr. Gomez Romeo and Dra. Carrasco) and Trelew (Province of Chubut), hosted by a glaucoma research foundation (Fundación para la Investigación del Glaucoma, Dra. Nazar).

The Consejo Argentino de Oftalmología (Argentine Council of Ophthalmology, CAO), one of the Argentinean professional associations, endorsed the WGD by promoting through all its channels these activities and encouraging individual and joint initiatives from its members.

It is estimated that in developing countries 90% of those persons with some degree of glaucoma ignore they have this asymptomatic disease. In this and future World Glaucoma Days, physicians in Argentina will be working toward the goal of undetected glaucoma below 20% in year 2020.