One of the aims of the IOA is to spread and support the science of orthoptics worldwide. The IOA Education Grant was established with this in mind. The Grant was first presented at the X International Orthoptic, Congress in Melbourne, Australia (2004).
The IOA Education Grant endeavours to provide financial help to an orthoptist from a non IOA member country, so that he/she may gain professional advancement by attending the next international congress. The candidate must be sponsored by an IOA representative and have received some training from an IOA orthoptist. The candidate is required to present a plan of how he/she intends to share knowledge with other colleagues when returning home. The Council of Management selects the awardee at the Council of Management meeting two years prior to the Congress at which the award is to be given.
The IOA is pleased to announce that Helen Adaugo Jumbo has been selected as the Education grant winner for 2020. Helen is the first orthoptist in Nigeria. She currently works in Port Harcourt University Teaching hospital in Nigeria where she is an amazing asset to their eye care team. She has been instrumental in vision screening, ophthalmology resident instruction and taught at a joint IOA, Port Harcourt and Nigerian Pediatric Ophthalmology & Strabismus Society orthoptic education program run last year which saw four more Nigerian orthoptists graduate. Congratulations Helen!
