The Challenge
Ongoing conflicts in Syria have displaced huge portions of the population, forcing many to flee into neighboring Jordan. As of January 2021, it was estimated that more than 76 thousand Syrians had been forced into Jordan's Zaatari Refugee Camp. The residents of Zaatari and other temporary shelters have imited access to healthcare, including neglible access to vision care.
The Response
Emory ophthalmologists travel quarterly to Jordan to provide ophthalmic care for Syrian refugees since 2016. Their work in Zaatari reveals, refugee children face greater healthcare challenges than the general population, with an increased risk of reversible blindness/visual impairment. Emory ophthalmologists are creating a vision clinic sustained by local Zaatari residents to treat adult and pediatric patients.
The Future
The Global Ophthalmology program aims to increase the capacity of a pediatric vision screening program that will provide ophthalmic services to all children in Zaatari refugee camp. In addition, GO-E hopes to impart basic training and skills to Syrian refugees who live in the camp so that they might serve as vision screeners, a service that will greatly improve both clinical and surgical subspecialty care available to children in need. And, finally working alongside colleagues from the medical community, GO-E will work to expand subspecialty training available to Jordanian ophthalmologists.