External Eye Diseases Group
Together with refractive errors, red eye (non-traumatic inflammation of the external eye) is the most frequent ophthalmic reason for visiting family medicine doctors, pediatricians or ophthalmologists. Despite this fact, surprisingly few studies have focused on how red eye is being diagnosed, treated and followed up by those groups of physicians. Also,comparatively few groups of physicians in the world deal specifically with this issue.
In order to address this problem, The External Eye Disease Group, or EED Group, has been formed in 2004. Currently, it includes ophthalmologists from the Southeastern Europe and the Middle east: Belarus, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Egypt, Greece, Hungary, Israel, Lebanon, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovenia, Slovakia, Turkey and Ukraine. Representatives from Bosnia, Serbia, Saudi Arabia and United Arab Emirates are likely to join the group this year.
Main fields of interest
Main interests of the EED Group are non-traumatic inflammation of the external eye, mainly caused by bacterial and viral infection, dry eye or allergy.
Key Faculty
The group is presided by the Key Faculty, which comprises Prof. Andras Berta (Hungary), Prof. Lajos Nemeth (Hungary), Prof. Marek Prost (Poland), Prof. Mohamed Higazy (Egypt), Dr. Igor Petriček (Croatia) and Dr. Pavel Nemec (Czech Republic). It holds annual meetings on which it discusses topics related to the external eye disease, and plans and organizes activities of the wider group.
Main goals and activities
Main goal of the group is education of ophthalmologists and other physicians in the region of country members involved in treating external eye diseases, by disseminating most current knowledge in the field. They hold lectures and publish educational material (leaflets, brochures) targeting patients and pharmacists as well.
Publications
The group has jointly published several medical papers: Also, members of the group translate and publish educational material in their respective countries.