CBM Ophthalmologist Appointed O.B.E By Queen Elizabeth II.
Dr Mark Wood Fought Blindness in Africa Since 1982
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- Dr. Mark Wood. © CBM
Dr Mark Wood, CBM ophthalmologist in CCBRT Dar es Salaam, Tanzania has been appointed an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to ophthalmology in developing countries by Her Majesty the Queen.
Dr Wood has lived most of his life in Kenya and Tanzania and worked for a total of 25 years in CBM-supported projects in Kikuyu, Kenya and since 2000 at Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation (CCBRT) in Tanzania. He served as a medical advisor of CBM for Kenya and Tanzania, and has long been involved in national prevention of blindness plans. In these positions his major achievements were establishing Kikuyu EYE unit, and outreach programmes to Northern Kenya and Somalia, the training of ophthalmologists and assistant clinical officers and a high output of cataract surgeries, and other eye operations.
Professor Allen Foster said "Mark is well-known by all his colleagues for his hard work, great humility and practical common sense approach to eye work in Africa. This award is very well deserved for Mark's many years of dedicated clinical service and teaching of ophthalmology in East Africa."
CCBRT offers comprehensive services to persons with disabilities in the region. The priority of its work are children. The Tanzania Society for the Blind refers children to CCBRT for further eye treatment. There are five ophthalmologists and four Assistant Medical Officers for Ophthalmology at the Eye Department. The eye ward now has 75 beds. An optical workshop provides a wide range of frames and other services. A low vision unit offers services for people with refractive error. Practical surgical training is a major part of the work.
The eye department performs outreach visits and serves approximately 60,000 people per year in Dar es Salaam and its surroundings, who otherwise wouldn’t have access to medical eye services.
Further information:
Eye Unit of Kikuyu Hospital - Kenya
CCBRT-Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation (All Programs) - Tanzania
Dr Wood has lived most of his life in Kenya and Tanzania and worked for a total of 25 years in CBM-supported projects in Kikuyu, Kenya and since 2000 at Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation (CCBRT) in Tanzania. He served as a medical advisor of CBM for Kenya and Tanzania, and has long been involved in national prevention of blindness plans. In these positions his major achievements were establishing Kikuyu EYE unit, and outreach programmes to Northern Kenya and Somalia, the training of ophthalmologists and assistant clinical officers and a high output of cataract surgeries, and other eye operations.
Professor Allen Foster said "Mark is well-known by all his colleagues for his hard work, great humility and practical common sense approach to eye work in Africa. This award is very well deserved for Mark's many years of dedicated clinical service and teaching of ophthalmology in East Africa."
CCBRT offers comprehensive services to persons with disabilities in the region. The priority of its work are children. The Tanzania Society for the Blind refers children to CCBRT for further eye treatment. There are five ophthalmologists and four Assistant Medical Officers for Ophthalmology at the Eye Department. The eye ward now has 75 beds. An optical workshop provides a wide range of frames and other services. A low vision unit offers services for people with refractive error. Practical surgical training is a major part of the work.
The eye department performs outreach visits and serves approximately 60,000 people per year in Dar es Salaam and its surroundings, who otherwise wouldn’t have access to medical eye services.
Further information:
Eye Unit of Kikuyu Hospital - Kenya
CCBRT-Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation (All Programs) - Tanzania
