UCL IoO’s Honorary Professor recognised in 2022 New Year’s Honours

My work in West Africa is truly joint between UCL IoO and MEH. To summarise a few key points:•    1989 IoO Our large study on onchocerciasis (river blindness) under Barrie Jones and Adenike Abiose showed ivermectin safe for community dosage. In 2012 the communities we worked in were integral to proving potential for elimination of the disease in Africa •    2003 Moorfields A corridor meeting with Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpenter led to a project to build a surgical training centre for West Africa. We established a charity, raised funds, built and handed the new Lions International Eye Centre over to KorleBu teaching Hospital, Ghana in 2015•    2012 IoO UCL educationalists were involved from the outset in planning an educational package to train sub-specialist surgery in West Africa•    2012 Moorfields Clinicians became involved in developing materials and training courses. These are online courses accessible on smartphones for ‘head knowledge’ prior to face-to-face training in procedures.•    2016 IoO We developed train the trainers courses both to improve medical training across West Africa and to enable the sub-specialist courses to be run by West Africa, in West Africa, for West Africa. Two landmarks were the first train the trainers course and the first sub-speciality course run by West Africans and completed in early 2020 just prior to COVID.•    2019 IoO and Moorfields  A subspecialist training curriculum was completed for all key sub-specialities and integrated into a brand new training curriculum for West African ophthalmologists  It has been my privilege to see every single sector/profession of Moorfields and quite a few aspects of the Institute throw themselves wholeheartedly into helping with the project. It has been exciting and fun to be part of this effort. But we are not finished! There is so much yet to do to get online courses running, continue training trainers, ensure sustainability of the courses, widen the hands-on training both in topics and extending beyond the single training centre, and see that the curriculum works in producing world class surgery and care in West Africa and much more. The over-riding point is the privilege to know my West African Colleagues who demonstrate unrivalled determination, dedication and humour in overcoming the most enormous obstacles. My work in West Africa is truly joint between UCL IoO and Moorfields. To summarise a few key points: 1989 IoOOur large study on onchocerciasis (river blindness) under Barrie Jones and Adenike Abiose showed ivermectin safe for community dosage. In 2012 the communities we worked in were integral to proving potential for elimination of the disease in Africa  2003 MoorfieldsA corridor meeting with Sir Thomas Boyd-Carpenter led to a project to build a surgical training centre for West Africa. We established a charity, raised funds, built and handed the new Lions International Eye Centre over to KorleBu teaching Hospital, Ghana in 20152012 IoOUCL educationalists were involved from the outset in planning an educational package to train sub-specialist surgery in West Africa 2012 MoorfieldsClinicians became involved in developing materials and training courses. These are online courses accessible on smartphones for ‘head knowledge’ prior to face-to-face training in procedures.2016 IoOWe developed train the trainers courses both to improve medical training across West Africa and to enable the sub-specialist courses to be run by West Africa, in West Africa, for West Africa. Two landmarks were the first train the trainers course and the first sub-speciality course run by West Africans and completed in early 2020 just prior to COVID.2019 IoO and Moorfields  A subspecialist training curriculum was completed for all key sub-specialities and integrated into a brand new training curriculum for West African ophthalmologists  It has been my privilege to see every single sector/profession of Moorfields and quite a few aspects of the UCL Institute of Ophthalmology throw themselves wholeheartedly into helping with the project. It has been exciting and fun to be part of this effort. But we are not finished! There is so much yet to do to get online courses running, continue training trainers, ensure sustainability of the courses, widen the hands-on training both in topics and extending beyond the single training centre, and see that the curriculum works in producing world-class surgery and care in West Africa and much more.