This article is more than 5 years old. Information may no longer be current.
Afghan foreign minister working to change ‘very primitive’ eye care system
Click Here to Manage Email Alerts
ORLANDO, Fla. — Bringing better eye care to the people of Afghanistan is one of the goals of the foreign minister of the new Afghan government.
Abdullah Abdullah, MD, a medical doctor and the foreign minister of Hamid Karzai’s fledgling government, said that among his aims is the improvement of what he termed the “very primitive” eye care conditions in his country. Dr. Abdullah spoke at the opening session of the joint meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Pan-American Association of Ophthalmology.
Dr. Abdullah said today in Afghanistan there are only four eye clinics to serve a population of 22 million. For 95% of the populace, he said, cataract means lifelong blindness. For trachoma and other treatable diseases of the eye the prognosis is similar.
He urged the international ophthalmologic community to become involved, not only in volunteerism, but also through education and providing fellowships for future Afghan ophthalmologists.
As a young man, Dr. Abdullah was forced to abandon his dream of becoming an ophthalmologist because of the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Medical schooling in his home country was interrupted, and he was forced to flee to Pakistan to complete his training. Before he could study in his chosen specialty of ophthalmology, he became involved with the resistance against the Soviets and then the Taliban. He served as a battlefield surgeon for the Northern Alliance.
Dr. Abdullah said “dealing with patients is important, but it is also just as important for me to deal with politics.” He said he chose to stay in politics to help his country find peace and stability.
Dr. Abdullah said he can now contribute to ophthalmology through his political appointment. “I am committed to making ophthalmology a more important field in Afghanistan,” he said.
At the conclusion of his speech, AAO Executive Vice President H. Dunbar Hoskins Jr., MD, FACS, awarded Dr. Abdullah an honorary membership in the AAO. The recipient was visibly moved by the award and by the standing ovation that followed.