AEOS at ESCRS London: Advancing Safe Cataract Surgery in Low-Resource Settings
The Arab-European Ophthalmological Society (AEOS) e.V. was honored to contribute to this year’s meeting of the European Society of Cataract and Refractive Surgeons (ESCRS) in London, presenting practical approaches to improving access to safe and effective cataract surgery in low-resource settings.
The session, entitled “Delivering Safe Cataract Surgery in Low-Resource Settings: Practical Solutions for Low-Income Countries – Experience of the Arab-European Ophthalmological Society (AEOS) e.V.”, focused on how surgical techniques and structured training programs can help strengthen ophthalmic care where resources, infrastructure, and access to specialized treatment remain limited.
A Practical Focus on Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery
A central part of the presentation was Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS), a well-established surgical technique that can provide effective cataract treatment while requiring fewer technological resources than conventional phacoemulsification.
The session highlighted the practical role of MSICS within a broader training and capacity-building initiative currently being implemented at the University Hospital Damascus as part of a project supported by the Förderprogramm Klinikpartnerschaften.
However, the initiative reaches far beyond the transfer of a surgical technique.
Building Sustainable Local Capacity
At the heart of AEOS lies a clear mission: to connect ophthalmologists across borders, facilitate meaningful knowledge exchange, and empower healthcare professionals to strengthen eye care within their own communities.
Rather than focusing solely on delivering surgical procedures, AEOS aims to support sustainable structures through education and hands-on training.
The objective is to enable local ophthalmologists and surgical teams to further develop their expertise, establish reliable treatment pathways, and ultimately expand access to high-quality ophthalmic care.
Mission-based training therefore plays a central role in the society’s work. By combining academic collaboration, practical surgical education, and long-term partnerships, AEOS seeks to create programs whose impact continues well beyond an individual medical mission.
International Collaboration at ESCRS
The presentation at ESCRS also reflected the strength of international cooperation behind these initiatives.
AEOS would like to express its sincere appreciation to the many colleagues who contribute their expertise, time, experience, and commitment to its academic and humanitarian projects:
Abdullmoin Omar
Ahmad Al-Moujahed, MD, PhD, MPH
Ahmad Elsahn
Ahmed Galal
Priv.-Doz. Dr. Alaa Din Abdin, FEBO, FICO, MRCSEd
Ali Alsheikheh
Ammar Jabur, MD, FEBO
Anas Anbari, MD, PhD, FACS
Basel Loda
Bilal Alokla
Diana Nazzal, FEBO
Diyaa Rachdan
Hashem Abu Serhan
Haytham Rezq
Inas Elsheikh, FEBO
Karim Alghazzawi
Mohamed El-Jade
Mohammad Kattaa
Mukhtar Bizrah
Nikolaos Bechrakis
Nuha Alfayumi
Obeda Kailani
Sameh AbouElkhir
Sami Saad
Tammam Kelani
Dr. Yaser Biazid
Yazan Al Tamimi
Zein Housseini
Ziad Ouyon
We were also particularly pleased to welcome colleagues from Syria, including Hala Mushaweh, MD, and Nawras Alhalabi, whose participation further emphasized the importance of direct professional exchange between international and local medical communities.
More Than Knowledge Transfer
For AEOS, international collaboration is not simply about sharing medical knowledge.
It is about creating lasting professional networks, opening opportunities for young and experienced ophthalmologists alike, and supporting healthcare professionals who are working under challenging circumstances.
Every training session, academic partnership, and surgical mission contributes to a larger goal: strengthening local expertise so that high-quality eye care can become increasingly accessible and sustainable.
The ESCRS session in London represented another important step in this journey.
Together with our colleagues and partners, we remain committed to building capacity, empowering surgeons, strengthening healthcare systems, and carrying the mission of AEOS forward.
We sincerely thank everyone who continues to support this vision and contribute to making these programs possible.
