Dr. Rosa Maria Tavares Almada

Dr. Rosa Maria Tavares Almada is a consultant ophthalmologist at Hospital Dr. Ayres de Menezes in Sao Tome, Sao Tome and Principe's national hospital. With 13 years of specialist experience and training in cataract surgery through the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO), she specialises in cataract surgery, tropical eye diseases, and diabetic retinopathy. As one of the few ophthalmologists in Sao Tome and Principe, Dr. Almada is the primary provider of sight-saving surgical and medical eye care for the island population. Her ICO training reflects internationally standardised surgical skills, and her expertise in tropical eye diseases addresses conditions such as trachoma and onchocerciasis relevant to the Central African island context.

Dr. Almada completed her MD at a Lusophone medical university and subsequently undertook ophthalmology specialist training. She obtained ICO Cataract Surgery Training through the International Council of Ophthalmology — a globally recognised programme that standardises surgical skills for phacoemulsification and manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) in low and middle-income settings. Her training encompassed slit-lamp examination, fundoscopy, retinal laser photocoagulation, and management of acute eye emergencies. She participates in ICO and African ophthalmology CME networks, including Vision 2020 partnership programmes aimed at eliminating avoidable blindness in sub-Saharan Africa.

Dr. Almada performs cataract surgery using manual small incision cataract surgery (MSICS) and phacoemulsification techniques, providing vision restoration for patients with visually significant cataracts — a major cause of avoidable blindness in the region. Her tropical eye disease expertise covers trachoma management, pterygium assessment and surgical removal, conjunctivitis, and parasitic eye conditions relevant to Sao Tome and Principe's tropical environment. Her diabetic retinopathy practice encompasses annual screening, severity grading, and retinal laser photocoagulation for proliferative retinopathy. She also manages acute eye emergencies including corneal trauma, chemical injuries, and uveitis.

Hospital Dr. Ayres de Menezes is the primary healthcare facility for Sao Tome and Principe, serving the resident population and international visitors including aid workers, expatriates, and Portuguese and African diaspora connections to the island. Dr. Almada consults in Portuguese, English, and French. International visitors requiring ophthalmic assessment or emergency eye care can access her services. For complex vitreoretinal cases or specialist investigations not available locally, she coordinates referrals to Portuguese university hospitals or regional African ophthalmology centres. Sao Tome International Airport provides connections to Lisbon, Lagos, and Luanda.

Dr. Almada has been recognised by Sao Tome and Principe's Ministry of Health and Vision 2020 partnership programmes for her contributions to eliminating avoidable blindness on the island. Her ICO Cataract Surgery Training certification reflects internationally assessed surgical standards. She has been commended for expanding cataract surgical access in Sao Tome and Principe, significantly reducing the burden of cataract-related blindness. She has contributed to national eye health surveys and WHO-supported blindness prevention programme activities in the Gulf of Guinea region.