Dr. Sifiso Dlamini

Dr. Sifiso Dlamini is an ophthalmologist at Mbabane Government Hospital — Eswatini's main public referral hospital. As one of a small number of ophthalmologists in the Kingdom of Eswatini, he provides essential eye care services to a population where avoidable blindness from cataract, trachoma, and glaucoma remains a significant public health challenge.

Eswatini is included in the WHO SAFE strategy for trachoma elimination, and Dr. Dlamini contributes to trichiasis surgery services — the surgical component of trachoma control — performing eyelid surgery to correct the blinding sequelae of chronic trachoma infection. Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the country, and his cataract surgery programme — including both phacoemulsification and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) — addresses the backlog of treatable visual impairment.

Dr. Dlamini trained within the Eswatini health system and completed a Diploma in Ophthalmology through the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) programme.

Dr. Dlamini completed his medical training within the Eswatini and southern Africa medical education system and obtained a Diploma in Ophthalmology through the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) Human Capacity Building (HEP) programme — a structured distance and in-person training programme designed specifically to build ophthalmological expertise in sub-Saharan Africa and other underserved regions.

He completed WHO-supported trachoma trichiasis surgery training, qualifying him to perform eyelid corrective surgery as part of Eswatini's trachoma control programme. He has attended cataract surgery skills development workshops through Sightsavers and the Fred Hollows Foundation — both major partners in addressing avoidable blindness in southern Africa — and participates in ongoing continuing surgical education through regional ophthalmology skills workshops for sub-Saharan African ophthalmologists.

Dr. Dlamini's surgical practice is centred on cataract surgery, which he performs using both phacoemulsification (where equipment is available) and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) — the technique better suited to high-volume practice in resource-limited settings. He performs trichiasis surgery for late-stage trachoma to prevent corneal blindness. His medical ophthalmology practice includes glaucoma management with topical medications, monitoring of diabetic retinopathy and referral for laser treatment where available, pterygium excision, and management of conjunctival and corneal disease.

Dr. Dlamini provides eye care at Mbabane Government Hospital. International visitors, missionaries, and NGO workers requiring ophthalmological assessment can access care through the hospital's outpatient department. He consults in Swati and English. Routine cataract assessment, glaucoma screening, and visual acuity evaluation are available on-site. For complex eye conditions requiring subspecialist management such as vitreoretinal surgery or advanced glaucoma procedures, Dr. Dlamini facilitates referral to ophthalmology centres in South Africa — Johannesburg and Pretoria are within 4 to 5 hours by road.

Dr. Dlamini is a member of the Eswatini Medical and Dental Association and holds a Diploma from the International Council of Ophthalmology. He has received recognition within Mbabane Government Hospital for his contributions to the cataract surgical backlog reduction programme and trachoma trichiasis surgery — two areas of avoidable blindness that the Eswatini Ministry of Health and international partners are actively targeting.

He participates in Sightsavers-supported outreach eye care camps serving rural communities in Eswatini where access to eye care is severely limited. His contributions to the WHO SAFE trachoma elimination strategy through trichiasis surgical services have supported Eswatini's progress toward trachoma elimination as a public health problem.