(Finance) – He leaves from Naples the alarm on the modern emergency in the ophthalmology field, that of dry eyewhich already affects over ten million patients in Italy and which, due toexcessive use of PCs, tablets and smartphones, sees a worrying increase in patients even in pediatric age. It was discussed at Congress “Naples 2024: Cataract, Refractive and Ocular Surface – How to improve people’s quality of life”, scheduled at the conference center of the Royal Continental Hotel.
For two days Naples is the capital of ophthalmology, thanks to the congress organized by the professor Vincenzo Orfeodirector of the Ophthalmology operational unit Mediterranean Clinic of Napleswhich he brought to the city over 600 experts and 155 speakersincluding lessons, masterly readings and Wet Labs to experiment with innovative operations.
Always from Naples, in particular from Tigem of Pozzuolithey also arrive important news thanks to researchwhich will soon allow the treatment of hereditary retinal dystrophies and other rare diseases. The congress hosted the closing of the project OneSight Foundation Group EssilorLuxotticawhich for two months involved the commitment of ophthalmologists in Scampia: over a thousand patients were examined free of charge and hundreds of glasses were donated together with Airo onlus, which has also been in Africa for years, working alongside the most disadvantaged populations of Madagascar, Ghana and Tanzania .
“Two days of great importance with the major experts in the sector. – he underlines Vincenzo Orfeo – The appeal to citizens is to do prevention, with preventive medical visits you can avoid major problems. Dry eyes are an alteration of the ocular surface due to the lack of tearing due toexcessive exposure to computers, tablets and smartphoneswhich increasingly concerns adult video terminal patients but also present ed increasing in pediatric age. We need to change children’s habits as much as possible, because we are creating a generation of potential future sick people.”
Francesca Simonelliprofessor of diseases of the visual system at the Luigi Vanvitelli University of Campaniaaddressed the topic of research in the ophthalmology field: “We have been engaged for years in researching cures for rare diseases, genetic hereditary retinal dystrophies, which strike at birth or in the first years of life, making one blind and without cures. Today a gene therapy corrects the genetic defect that determines the disease, we have already treated 30 people, children and adults, with a case history that is the largest in Europe and is very encouraging. we are about to start with the cure of another disease genetics, in collaboration with the Telethon Foundation and Tigem of Pozzuoli, which leads to deafness and blindness. Right in Naples we are very close to treating the first patient in the world.”
Andrea Rendinageneral secretary OneSight Foundation EssilorLuxottica groupillustrated the project “Seeing better, living better, everyone”, explaining that the project took place over two months in Scampia, together with theFederico II University of Naples and Airo onlus “to create a real solidarity network, hosted by the Don Guanella parish”.
In the end, Valerio Orfeocoordinator of ETS Onluspresented the iAiro’s initiatives (Italian Association of Renewal in Ophthalmology), engaged in missions in Africa for twenty years: “with companies and specialists we have created a bridge with the hospitals of Madagascar, Ghana and Tanzania”.