Prof. Feyi Adepoju, an Ophthalmologist at the College of Health Sciences, University of Ilorin, has emerged one of 10 winners of the 2021 Excellence in Ophthalmology Vision Award (XOVA).
This development was conveyed in a letter made available to newsmen by Dr Elizabeth Barner, the Global Medical Head, Refractive and Development Disorder, Novartis Pharma AG.
Barner explained that Adepoju’s initiative entitled: “Scaling up cataract services in Kwara State, Nigeria, through outreaches and integration of primary eye care into Primary Health Care” had been selected for the award, out of a total of 171 applications.
Adepoju’s community Ophthalmology work involved several community outreaches, advocacy, lectures and teaching to villagers, religious organisations and institutions.
Barner added that a formal announcement on the award would be made at EURETINA’s Virtual Congress holding between Sept. 9th and 12th, 2021, and the winning projects will also be highlighted on World Sight Day, on Oct. 14, 2021.
Adepoju, a serial award winner since her secondary school, is said to take ”delight in activities supporting the promotion of eye health, through the production of information leaflets, films and documentaries, as well as several television and radio programs on eye health.
”Her film on prevention of cataract blindness entitled: YOU ARE MY EYE (2011) was aired in over 27 Television stations in Nigeria, West and East Africa.
“Adepoju is also a previous recipient of the Award of Innovative Contribution to prevention of Blindness and the Progress of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria in 2011 by the Africa Ophthalmology Forum, a body comprising all National Ophthalmological Societies in the Middle East, Central, East and West Africa”, according to a citation on the faculty of clinical sciences website.