NEW DELHI: The Four -Day Annual International Conference, AIOC-2020, to apprise the eye care professionals on the latest technologies available for treatment of eye diseases began on February 13 in Gurugram. Organised by the All India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS), the conference was inaugurated by the NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. More than 8,000 delegates from across the world are participating in the meet.
According to WHO, India accounts for around 30 per cent (12 million cases) of the World’s blind population. Two million new cases are added annually. “Apart from the burden of blindness in India, around 15 per cent of the Indian population suffers from preventable blindness and some kind of vision problem. Timely detection and treatment can prevent almost all types of vision problems thereby preventing addition of blindness burden in the country,” said Dr S Natarajan, president, AIOS.
“Only by adopting the latest technological advances in the field of ophthalmology can we reduce the burden of blindness,” said Dr Namrata Sharma, Honorary General Secretary, AIOS. “This platform provides Indian ophthalmologists an opportunity to share experiences, discuss pitfalls and design the path for the future of ophthalmology in India. A number of scientific deliberations and social interactions will be held through the four days,” said Dr Mahipal S Sachdev, incoming president, AIOS.