Could you help us prevent unnecessary sight loss?

Glaucoma is the number cause of preventable blindness in New Zealand.

At this moment, 50,000 Kiwis are living with glaucoma who don’t know it. Without identification and treatment, they will go blind.

The number of people with glaucoma is set to double in the next decade; however, as a country, we don’t have enough glaucoma specialists to meet the demands of our aging population, or local researchers addressing causes of preventable blindness.

How do we attract local health professionals and young researchers to address unnecessary sight loss for Kiwis?

Glaucoma NZ awards a research scholarship to engage final-year medical students to develop their passion for improving the lives of Kiwis living with glaucoma. Over 8-10 weeks, our scholars gain invaluable experience learning from world-class eye health professionals to develop a grassroots research project to address causes of preventable blindness that affect New Zealanders.

• Why do people present with low pressures?

• Why do some people not respond to certain drops?

• Does glaucoma education improve treatment adherence?

We need local researchers to address these questions. This scholarship will engage the next generation of glaucoma specialists with a passion to prevent sight loss.