COLOMBIA

Colombia is a Latin American democratic country located in the north western corner of South America. It has coasts both with the Atlantic and the Pacific oceans, and borders with Panama, Venezuela, Brazil, Peru, and Ecuador. It is a tropical country with no seasons but with many different climates. Most of its population has migrated to the main cities, although a significant amount of people still live in faraway rural areas.

Demographics:
Births per year : 659.255
Life expectancy at birth : 73.95 years
Percentage of population under 15 years : 28.45% (13.552.637)
Ethnicity : Hispanic
Languages spoken : Spanish

Health care system:
Type : Obligatory Health Plan (contributory and subsidized regime)
Cost to patient to see a primary care doctor / general practitioner : Free
Cost to patient of squint surgery under general anesthesia : Free
Number of Paediatric ophthalmologists: 60 in the country.

Major successes encountered in Paediatric Ophthalmology practice:
• Well developed retinopathy of prematurity screening and treatment programme.
• There are tertiary referral center for congenital/paediatric cataract in all the major cities in the country.

Major challenges faced in Paediatric Ophthalmology practice:
• Ambliopia screening is still an important problem in our country. We have a large territory that is not easy to cover.