Vision Excellence Awards: Anaseini Cama

Dr Cama has most recently worked for the Fred Hollows Foundation, Australia as the Pacific Trachoma Co-ordinator – a particularly challenging task given the far-flung island states for which she has responsibility. Dr Cama’s technical knowledge, essential to assisting the growing body of work around the “Pacific Enigma” in trachoma, has also stood her in good stead for implementation of these programmes and for supporting ongoing advice to the World Health Organisation.

For the decade prior to her work in Pacific Trachoma Initiative, Dr Cama worked to develop the eye health sector in the Pacific Islands. Based in Fiji, she saw the need for a well-integrated and networked cohort of ophthalmologists and eye nurses and worked closely with like-minded colleagues to see this implemented.

As the President of PacEYES, Dr Cama was instrumental in developing the ‘big picture’ public health credentials of a generation of eye health specialists across the islands. The annual (now bi-annual) PacEYES conference, a 3 day long learning and networking event, grew from strength to strength under her stewardship. As President of PacEYES, Dr Cama was also the perfect candidate to run the IAPB sub-regional Secretariat in Suva. Her contribution to IAPB during this period cannot be diminished, especially her advocacy work with Ministries across the region to see that eye health remained firmly on their agenda. Her association with IAPB has continued, most recently giving her time to assist with the development of the Western Pacific programme for GA2020 and as a GA Ambassador.

Dr Cama has been a trail-blazer for female ophthalmologists in the Pacific Islands. A worthy presenter of the Fred Hollows Keynote lecture at RANZCO 2019 and a Guest Speaker on Gender at ICO in 2018 –these appearance have cemented her position as a leader in the Pacific Islands. She is a worthy nomination for a Vision 2020 Excellence Award.