ON A MISSION Making Progress
It has been a remarkable year for Duke Global Ophthalmology (Duke GO), filled with amazing triumphs and incredible growth — all dedicated to curing blindness worldwide, alleviating human suffering, and transforming not only individual lives, but their families and entire communities. Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD, associate professor of ophthalmology and Duke GO director, leads a tireless team that is having a major impact by restoring vision in several underserved countries across the globe.
Much of Duke GO’s success is due to the generosity of our donors, the addition of a program coordinator, more organized partnerships, and the increased interest of our faculty, staff and trainees to participate in Duke GO. The inaugural global ophthalmology fellow will begin in summer 2025 and will expand capacity to reach more countries and impact more lives.
Duke GO has plans to further expand access with increased faculty and trainee interest to perform cataract and glaucoma surgeries, and corneal transplants globally. Additional priorities include supporting and training international ophthalmologists and staff, as well as establishing eye banks abroad. Duke GO’s commitment to curing blindness worldwide has never been stronger.
ON A MISSION Surgery Cures Blindness
Novie Marburn from Yogyakarta, Indonesia was blind in both eyes for 10 years. She was not able to see her children ages 2, 4, and 7 years old, making it very difficult to care for them. Novi wondered if she would ever be able to see the beautiful faces of her children. Indonesia lacks cornea transplant surgeons and eye banking for Novie to get the cornea transplant needed to regain her vision. During a sight saving trip in February 2024, Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD, met Novie‘s husband Rio, completely by chance. Rio was working as a translator and happened to ask Willams if he could help his wife. Williams evaluated Novie and realized she was blind in both eyes, but her vision could be restored with corneal transplants in each eye. Novie was getting the sight saving surgery that she needed. Today, Novie now has almost normal vision. She can see her children and care for them with no assistance. This is just one example of thousands, demonstrating the impact of Duke GO.
Anupauma Horne, MD: “Everyday in ophthalmology we experience small miracles of giving new sight at home but the impact this has in developing communities is on another level. It can mean the difference between suffering and hope for all ages. I love travel because of the immersion in language and culture and the connections that can be formed far outside of what I’m familiar with. Global ophthalmology has allowed me to lean into this even more by challenging me to hone my surgical skills to perform cases that are often far more complex than my daily routine and to do so in unpredictable settings but always leads to such rewarding and impactful results.”
Horne, assistant professor of ophthalmology and chief of Duke comprehensive ophthalmology, leads our efforts in Roatan Honduras with partner Health in Sight.
ON A MISSION Staff Lives Are Impacted
Fekrselame “Metu” Tesfaye, a Duke Hosptal nurse, traveled to her home country of Ethiopia, not to visit family and friends, but to assist with surgeries that restored sight to hundreds of people. It was a lifechanging experience for the patients – and for Tesfaye. “I was shocked,” Tesfaye said. “I myself didn’t know how many blind people there are in Ethiopia. It was unbelievable."
ON A MISSION Education Expands Global Access
Fellowship
A critical component of Duke GO is the new Global Ophthalmology Fellowship which will begin with the inaugural fellow, Sheena Song, DO, in July 2025. The fellowship is designed to train outstanding young ophthalmologists to specialize in providing care and developing infrastructure overseas. Song will also work with Miracles In Sight to help develop an eye banking program in Indonesia.
“Global ophthalmology is what inspired me to pursue medicine. Duke’s impressive dedication to global health, in addition to Dr. Lloyd Williams’ passion for teaching and global ophthalmology, are what drew me to the program. I look forward to working with the Duke Global Ophthalmology team to make meaningful impact and connections in both the global and local space next year.”
Training International Ophthalmologists
DukeGO surgeons train international ophthalmologists so the local physicians can continue caring for the natives. Thus far, five surgeons have been trained to perform corneal transplants; two in Indonesia, two in Sierra Leone, and one in Ukraine. Training will continue during future trips to increase skill and proficiency.
Ophthalmologists visit Duke for training. This year, physicians from Indonesia and Ukraine traveled to Durham to observe and improve skills in corneal transplants and learn more about eye banking.
Partnerships and Donors
Thousands of beaming smiles and countless tears of joy wouldn’t have been possible without support from our partners and generous donors including corporations, service organizations, patients and individuals who are committed to the cause. Funding is still a primary focus for Duke GO as it is necessary to continue the success experienced over the last year.
LC Industries, a transformative supporter of Duke Eye Center, provided a substantial gift to help support the infrastructure and travel for Duke GO team members.
Miracles In Sight has been a significant partner and supporter of Duke Eye Center for many years, and also passionate about global ophthalmology. Their generous gift made possible the Duke Global Ophthalmology fellowship. Miracles in Sight also supplies cornea tissue needed for corneal transplants during sight saving missions.
Charlotte International Rotary Club See sidebar.
Cure Blindness Project partnership
Health in Sight partnership
Rotarian Supports Duke GO with Portable Microscope
When Ann Evans, FNP, DrPH, a passionate Rotarian and global health advocate, set her sights on ‘making a difference’ in the growing public health problem of avoidable blindness, she found a mentor in Williams. Evans was in South Sudan in 2022 helping her friend Jill Seaman, MD, 2009 MacArthur Fellow, working with the Himalayan Cataract Project, when she met Lloyd Williams, MD, PhD. “Watching people who were blind have their cataract removed, an $8 lens replacement with a 10-minute procedure, and walk away the following day with sight restored, changed my life,” said Evans. “I saw Williams was passionate about curing blindness; I got infected by his passion.”
Evans, a nurse practitioner and educator, also noted a patient safety issue — the operating room floor was unstable, a dangerous situation for cataract surgery. She submitted to Rotary for a grant to stabilize the floor, which was approved and completed. But the following year Williams returned to South Sudan and the operating microscope was broken. When Evans learned about the broken microscope, she worked with her Charlotte International Rotary Club to raise money. Her daughter established a fundraiser — $80 for mom’s 80th birthday — and the club donated a portable operating microscope to Duke GO.
“I’m really proud of shepherding this project, supporting Williams and his vision for Duke GO, because he has the kind of passion and the connection of the heart and mind that makes good things happen,” said Evans.
