About the Programme

Optometry is a health care profession that is autonomous and concerned especially with examining the eye for defects and faults of refraction, with prescribing correctional lenses, eye exercises and/or visual rehabilitation care for the visually impaired, with diagnosing diseases of the eye, and with treating such diseases or referring them for treatment. Optometry as a profession has the primary public health responsibility for eliminating uncorrected refractive error (the leading cause of vision impairment globally). As primary eye care practitioners, optometrists have a vital role in detecting potentially serious eye diseases such as cataract, glaucoma and Diabetic retinopathy, age-related maculopathy, as well as general health conditions such as hypertension and diabetes, which means optometrists can also help alleviate the burden of other causes of blindness through diagnosis, referral and in some cases co-management. Optometry can and should play a leading role in eye care provision at the primary level, and can also contribute at secondary and tertiary levels where possible, working with ophthalmologists and other eye care providers towards the unified goal of combating blindness