Pediatric Ophthalmologist from Uganda–Dr Rebecca Claire Lusobya

In March of 2025, we partnered with Focus1 in Chicago to host pediatric ophthalmologist, Dr. Rebecca Claire Lusobya, in the Red Rover Ventures Eye Simulation Center.  Dr. Rebecca is tackling the epidemic of blind babies in Africa and hoping to establish a ROP screening program for Uganda.  She gave a talk about pediatric ophthalmology in Uganda at the AmericanAssociation of Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus in Salt Lake City, Utah. She wanted to work in the Retinopathy of Prematurity Simulator and then move to our laser simulation wet lab.  She recognized that performing the delicate baby examination in premature infants was more difficult in crying babies–that’s right the simulator cries–it’s unnerving at first.

Rebecca is a hardworking mom, researcher,and clinician at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. She is also 1 of 13 children in her family. The team at Global Retina Institute learned so much from her.  Uganda is a country of 45 million people and many diseases, especially childhood diseases reach diagnosis and treatment too late. There is currently an epidemic of babies born premature who are born blind from Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) in sub-Saharan Africa.  I covered ROP in underserved areas of Michigan for over 20 years and am passionate about passing on this information.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We know that preventable blindness requires us to be ahead of the curve and to “bend the curve”.  We must get ophthalmologists in Africa trained to evaluate Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) and to treat high risk eyes with proficiency in indirect laser and intravitreal injections.  Collaboration and Partnerships with other organizations to insure proper manufacturing and storage of intravitreal drugs to prevent endophthalmitis and insure proper dosage and proper delivery is also critical.  Each country needs to develop an ROP screening program appropriate for its demography, culture and existing services to include pediatricians, obstetricians, midwives and community health workers. Championing and hosting these ophthalmologists is a life long mission.

We were so grateful for Joan and Richard Malouf who hosted Dr. Rebecca during this trip and for Dr. Daniel Alter MD, retina specialist at Midwestern Retina Consultants in Chicago for supporting her through his non-profit.

For me, teaching indirect laser and intravitreal injections to international ophthalmologists will have a great impact on preventable blindness.  Ophthalmology is also about teamwork, partnership and collaboration from our own office and staff, patients, and other organizations.  We don’t bear all the responsibility but we all need to be the light.

Hosting international ophthalmologists and tackling retinopathy of prematurity is a life long partnership. We were grateful of the donation of a Perkins Tonometer from Dr. Ken and Lori O’Daniel. Dr. Rebecca and her team examine 300 children per day but did not have a Perkins tonometer to use in the OR.  At the time of Dr. Rebecca visit she reported difficulty measuring intraocular pressure because of lack of a tonometer.

 

On returning home, she texted us a picture of putting the tonometer into action.  We are never content with blindness or vision loss. We are now fundraising for a state of the art laser for treating children with Retinopathy of prematurity in Uganda.

Taking in the cowboy fare in Scottsdale, Arizona and letting international guests share our lives in international exchange is rewarding.  We loved hearing about their farm to table food and cooking, how there are no ‘aunts and uncles’ only ‘moms and dads’, how she comes home after a long day and the children have cooked and cleaned–she only has to put her feet up and rest. We were all a little jealous.  We loved that Dr. Rebecca and her siblings will care for her parents until they die.  Dr. Rebecca was shocked to hear that Americans spend money on assisted living apart from the family.