Jordan is known as a fascinating place, rich with history and artistic as well as natural beauty, and at the same time one of the world's most welcoming and hospitable country.
This typical hospitality of the Arab culture welcomed
the Istituto Cavazza which was invited in the month of April in Amman for
a cycle of scientific conferences on the subject of low vision
rehabilitation, a daily activity at the Bolognese Institute. Though a
relatively small country, the Kingdom of Jordan plays a very important
role in the Middle East region to the point that many experts are
considering it a strategic hub between the Gulf Region and the South
Mediterranean countries. A market rich of perspectives, it has a strong
vocation for services particularly in regards to tourism, university
training and health. With more than one hundred public and private
hospital infrastructures and four faculties of medicine, Jordan is
probably the main pole of "health tourism"
in the Arab world. In fact, many people come from the
neighbouring regions for medical treatments of all types.
The diseases
causing visual impairment obviously occupy an important place among what
is considered health emergencies. Recent studies indicate a prevalence of
blindness of 0.08% in the population aged less than 15 to 5.6% for those
aged 50 years and over. The strong desire of experts and specialists in
the field to best respond to the needs of persons living with vision loss
and to develop leading-edge centres provided the impetus to bring forth
this international project. During our stay in Amman, there were a series
of scientific meetings which took place in important health facilities of
the city, namely the Ophthalmology Department of the Jordan University
Hospital where consultations took place with patients of the clinic.
Our hope is
that this is only the first step in a long path of
collaboration and cultural exchange between the Istituto Cavazza and
Jordan's health structures involved in the rehabilitation and integration
of people living with severe and disabling eye diseases.
