World Prematurity Day (WPD) was established to raise awareness about preterm birth (defined as before 37 weeks of gestation), which is the leading cause of death for children under the age of 5 worldwide. It has been recognized since 2011.
In honor of WPD, PAHO is hosting a meeting November 17, available virtually, on the prevention of blindness caused by retinopathy, a condition that's:
- Preventable
- Treatable
- The leading causes of visual impairment in premature babies
Webex sessions of interest on Nov. 17 (all times Bogota):
- 9:30 - Premature births in Latin America: Challenges and opportunities, Pablo Duran, PAHO
- 9:45 - Prematurity in Latin America and the Caribbean. Trends in the last 10 years, Clara E. Galvis, Colombia
- 10:20 - Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) as a cause of blindness: International perspective and trends, Clare Gilbert, UK
- 11:20 - Policies framework to prevent blindness due ROP in Latin America, Juan Carlos Silva, PAHO
- 11:40 - Advocacy to promote National policies in ROP, Andrea Zin, Brazil
- 12:15 - Neonatal care to prevent ROP: Success of a multidisciplinary work, Jose Maria Solano, Colombia
- 2:00 - Current management of ROP: A matter of opportunity and availability, Luis Porfirio Orozco, México
Link to Webex room in English: https://paho.webex.com/paho/j.php?MTID=ma21d3876da3083a60faba0ebe0b2ab47
Link to Webex room in Spanish: https://paho.webex.com/paho/j.php?MTID=m1ff76314be2816e09f5a4b371a110a31
