FROM ASG TO MEAGS: HISTORY AND ACTIVITIES
The Middle East African Glaucoma Society (MEAGS) is the extension of the African Society of Glaucoma (ASG), founded in 2006 in Tunis with the following board:
- Founding President: Prof. Amel Ouertani
- Secretary General: Dr. Khaled Ben Amor
- Treasurer: Prof. Med Ali El Afrit
- Members: Prof. Khaled Zaghloul, Prof. Ammar Ailem, Dr. A. Abou Al Ainine, Dr. Abou Baker Traina, Prof. Bahia Ouazzani, Dr. Ellen Anker, Dr. Mustapha Nassar, Dr. Paul Roux, Prof. Souad El Fitouri, Dr. Abdessalem Geilani
- ASG became MEAGS when it became a division of the Middle East Africa Council of Ophthalmology “MEACO”. The objectives of both societies are the same.
This is a summary of their past activities.
ACHIEVEMENTS OF THE AFRICAN SOCIETY OF GLAUCOMA (ASG)
1. Workshops
The workshops lasted 4 to 10 days, including:
– 4 hours/day of lectures
– 4 hours/day of hands-on training:
- On patient eyes (for trained surgeons)
- On artificial eyes (for residents and beginners)
– The first workshop was held in Nouakchott, (2007), in collaboration with the Bouamatou Foundation.
– The second workshop took place in Iraq (2008)
2. Short-term Fellowships
ASG offered multiple fellowships to ophthalmologists from different African countries:
| Name | Country | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Sow Mamadou | Guinea | 2006 |
| Dr. Beryo Datam | Chad | 03/03/2006 – 01/04/2006 |
| Mr. Moustapha Isseini Ramat | Chad | 03/03/2006 – 01/04/2006 |
| Mr. Mohamed Hamath Abou | Mauritania | 21/04/2006 – 01/06/2006 |
| Dr. Faruk Asmai | South Africa | 08/2006 |
| Dr. Mahaman Sani Askia | Niger | 08/01/2007 – 08/02/2007 |
| Dr. Issi Adamou | Niger | 08/01/2007 – 08/02/2007 |
| Dr. Moussa Fati | Niger | 01/03/2007 – 25/03/2007 |
| Dr. Mariem Dollo | Burkina Faso | 01/11/2007 – 25/12/2007 |
| Dr. Ousmane Sanfo | Burkina Faso | 23/06/2009 – 18/07/2009 |
| Dr. Aimé Passinguéba Ouedraogo | Burkina Faso | 23/06/2009 – 18/07/2009 |
| Mr. Yélsomdé Paul Ouedraogo | Burkina Faso | 23/06/2009 – 18/07/2009 |
| Dr. Bernice Abegbehninhbe | Nigeria | 01/07/2008 – 16/02/2009 |
| Mr. Derdeye Zene Djibrine (Technician) | Chad | 19/07/2010 – 20/08/2010 |
| Dr. Rama Baldé | Niger | 01/06/2011 – 19/06/2011 |
3. Symposia Organized by ASG
ASG actively participated in several major ophthalmology congresses:
AAO (Marrakech, 2007)
Nadi Al Bassar Congress (Tunis, 2007 et 2013)
7th West African Ophthalmologic Society Congress (Burkina Faso, 2007)
50th Anniversary of the Moroccan Society of Ophthalmology (Marrakech, 2008)
Egyptian Glaucoma Society (Cairo, 2008)
MEACO Congress (Bahrain, 2009)
World Glaucoma Congress (Boston, 2009)
All India Ophthalmological Society (Jaipur, 2009)
1st Congress of the Palestinian Ophthalmological Society
4. Participation in Regional and International Congresses
REGIONAL
- ASG has maintained an active and regular presence across all MEACO congresses.
- ASG has also participated in various regional congresses across multiple countries : Tunis, Mauritania, Addis Ababa, Turkey..
INTERNATIONAL
- AAO International Forum-AAO Monday, October 24th, 2011-Orlando
Fee for Service-Yes or No?
A debate on funding eye care
Arguments for NO. Speaker Amel Ouertani. - JOINT AAO-MEACO-ASG Congresses, 2011 Chicago
Title of symposium was: “GLAUCOMA: THE MIDDLE EAST AND AFRICAN DISPARITIES AND CHALLENGES”
MEAGS’s Speakers: Ahmed Abo El Enein (Egypt), Fathi El Sayyad (Egypt), Moustafa Nassar (Egypt), Amal Ouertani (Tunisia), Polla Roux (South Africa), Bahaa Noor-el-din (Lebanon). - AAO-MEACO Joint Meeting, San Francisco
COURSE: THE CONFOCAL SCANNING LASER OPHTHALMOSCOPY: A 10 YEARS EXPERIENCE. Speaker Amel Ouertani.
5. COLLABORATION WITH INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY “ICO”: Leadership Development Program
Nairobi- 2007
Drakensberg, South Africa, 2010
6. OTHER COLLABORATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF OPHTHALMOLOGY “ICO”
- How To Establish A Strategic Plan Morrocco (Marrakech 2007)
- Residency Directors Course (Chicago, 2009; Cairo, 2009)
7. COLLABORATIONS WITH AAO
– AAO -World Ophthalmology Leaders Forum in Education -Chicago
– Global Outreach Committee
8. COLLABORATIONS WITH INTERNATIONAL AGENCY FOR PREVENTION OF BLINDNESS «IAPB»
▪ Dubai 2007,
▪ Hyderabad, 2012: 9th General Assembly about “Managing Glaucoma in an African Context”
MEAGS PAST ACTIVITIES
1. COLLABORATIONS WITH WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION “WHO”
EMR Regional Workshop (Cairo, 2014) – Theme: Challenges in Clinical Diagnosis of Glaucoma
2. MEAGS GLAUCOMA COURSES AND HANDS-ON TRAINING
Organized in collaboration with Nadi Al Bassar and the IBD, these 10-day programs included:
– 5 hours/day of lectures
– Workshops and supervised surgical training (on artificial eyes or patients, depending on participants’ level)
MEAGS – GLAUCOMA COURSE – Mali (2011) : 13 trainees from 9 countries
| Dr DOSSOU BODJRENOU (Benin) | Dr BOGOREH Issa (Djibouti) |
| Dr DOSOOU M Hilaire (Benin) | Dr SOUMAH Alseny (Guine) |
| Dr MOURBA Zenab (Tchad) | Dr SOUMAH Alseny (Guine) |
| Dr ASKIA Mahaman-Sani (Niger) | Dr LAMA Pierre Louis (Guinea) |
| Dr DEZOUMBE Djoré (Tchad) | Dr BAKAYOKO Seydou (Mali) |
| Dr MAIDANDA Boubacar (Niger) | Dr DEMBELE Mamadou (Mali) |
| Dr ETEME ATANGANA (Cameroon) | Dr SIDIBE Fatimata (Mali) |
MEAGS – GLAUCOMA COURSE – Burkina Faso (2012) : 6 ophthalmologists and 4 residents
MEAGS – GLAUCOMA COURSE – Tunisia (2012) :
Refreshment course at the ophthalmological Department of Charles University Hospital-Tunis, in collaboration with Nadi Al Bassar
HANDS-ON TRAINING ON GLAUCOMA DRAINAGE DEVICES
- Wetlabs – MEACO Congress – Bahrain (2016)
- Wetlabs – SGH-MEACO Congress – Dubai (2021)
3. MEAGS COURSE FOR PARAMEDICALS
During the cataract campaigns, in collaboration with Nadi Al Bassar
– Mozambique
– Djibouti
– Conakry
– Niger
– Burkina Fasso
4. SHORT-TERM FELLOWSHIPS
| Name | Country | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Dr. Ahmed Mohamed | Mauritania | 21/03/2016 – 09/04/2016 |
5. ICO RESIDENCY DIRECTORS COURSE
In collaboration with French Ophthalmological Society Congress – Paris 2014
6. ICO-WOC (2006–2020)
MEAGS members actively took part in various sessions at the World Ophthalmology Congress, organized by the International Council of Ophthalmology
CONCLUSION
- This overview highlights the achievements of the African Society of Glaucoma, the mother society of MEAGS, and the first activities of MEAGS itself.
- Fighting glaucoma remains an immense challenge in Africa due to the lack of human resources, limited infrastructure, poverty, and insufficient public awareness.
- There is still much to do, and only international solidarity can truly make a difference.
- MEAGS is committed to making its contribution, and calls upon ophthalmologists who are motivated and willing to help—often on a voluntary basis—to join this vital effort.