Oduntan Olalekan A, Mashige Khathutshelo P, Kio Franklin E, Boadi-Kusi Samuel B
*BScOptom, PhD †BOptom, MOptom ‡OD, MSc §BSc, OD Department of Optometry, School of Health Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa (OAO, KPM); Department of Optometry, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Benin, Benin City, Nigeria (FEK); and Department of Optometry, School of Physical Sciences, University of Cape Coast, Cape Coast, Ghana (SBB-K).
Optom Vis Sci. 2014 Mar;91(3):359-65. doi: 10.1097/OPX.0000000000000153.
The African continent, with a population of more than one billion and 55 recognized developing countries, is still grappling in some countries with socioeconomic and other challenges inherent in developing countries. The continent is working toward a single political entity known as the African Union, and development is taking place faster than ever in most countries. The continent is known to have high levels of health problems, including visual impairment and blindness. Most nations in the continent are making efforts to reduce the scourge of health problems including visual impairment and blindness. Visual impairment in the continent is mostly caused by refractive errors. Consequently, optometry can help reduce the prevalence of visual impairment on the continent. The educational programs currently offered by the different institutions include Diploma in Optometry (DipOptom), Bachelor of Optometry (BOptom), and Doctor of Optometry (OD). There are 17 established institutions offering optometry degree programs on the continent, of which 14 are fully accredited. Considering the optometric manpower needed in the continent, more optometry institutions need to be established. Staffing and infrastructural and training facilities are major challenges facing the majority of the existing institutions. There is also a need to place greater emphasis on postgraduate education to meet the institutional, national, and international professional training standards and to ensure sustainability of optometry education. This article addresses the historical development, educational issues, challenges, and needs, as well as recommendations, for improving the standard and sustainability of optometric education.
非洲大陆拥有超过10亿人口以及55个被认可的发展中国家，在一些国家仍在应对发展中国家固有的社会经济和其他挑战。该大陆正在朝着一个名为非洲联盟的单一政治实体迈进，并且在大多数国家，发展速度比以往任何时候都要快。众所周知，该大陆存在高水平的健康问题，包括视力损害和失明。该大陆的大多数国家都在努力减少包括视力损害和失明在内的健康问题的祸害。该大陆的视力损害主要由屈光不正引起。因此，验光可以帮助降低该大陆视力损害的患病率。目前不同机构提供的教育项目包括验光文凭（DipOptom）、验光学士（BOptom）和验光博士（OD）。该大陆有17所已设立的机构提供验光学位课程，其中14所已完全获得认证。考虑到该大陆所需的验光人力，需要建立更多的验光机构。人员配备、基础设施和培训设施是大多数现有机构面临的主要挑战。还需要更加重视研究生教育，以满足机构、国家和国际专业培训标准，并确保验光教育的可持续性。本文论述了验光教育的历史发展、教育问题、挑战和需求，以及提高验光教育标准和可持续性的建议。
