In Ethiopia, a strong partnership is forming between local healthcare professionals and KnowTheGlow (KTG). KTG Co-Founder, Megan Webber, was excited to be contacted by Dr. Roby Dessalegn Wirtu, a second-year pediatric ophthalmology resident at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College in Addis Ababa. Dr. Dessalegn has faced heart-wrenching cases of RB, all arriving too late for early intervention. Her encounters with late-stage, extraocular RB cases drove her to search for solutions, leading her to be touched by KnowTheGlow’s mission.
During her pediatric ophthalmology rotation, Dr. Dessalegn recognized a widespread lack of awareness about RB in Ethiopia—both among medical professionals and the general population. Tragically, 47% of RB cases go directly to palliative care there because they are detected too late. Motivated by these shocking statistics, Dr. Dessalegn joined KTG’s online community during RB Awareness Week, where she connected with KTG Co-Founder Megan Webber.
Megan and the KTG team quickly saw the potential for collaboration. During their conversation, Dr. Dessalegn shared Ethiopia’s efforts to establish a national task force, supported by AMCC, to tackle the rising cases of RB. Currently, they are in the first phase, focusing on community awareness. Their ultimate goal is to improve early diagnosis and reduce the mortality rate from RB—curable cancer if caught early.
One of the most impactful tools in raising awareness is visual storytelling. Dr. Dessalegn facilitated a meeting to introduce KTG to her esteemed mentor, Dr. Bezawit Tadegegn. Dr. Tadegegn, a passionate pediatric ophthalmologist who completed her fellowship in Nepal, expressed the need for locally contextualized images to help spread the word. KnowTheGlow’s photos with digitally created ‘glows’ for clarity have been a key part of their campaigns. Still, real-life photos of children that families have shared with KTG over the years showing RB’s signature leukocoria (white eye glow), resonate even more deeply with the public.
The Ethiopian task force is working on an awareness campaign to coincide with RB Week 2025, and they believe localized, informative pictures will be essential. Megan suggested that KTG could provide campaign materials, including enhanced images and articles, at no cost. The campaign would highlight real stories, and possibly involve a local ambassador to ensure long-term impact beyond the initial campaign launch.
Dr. Dessalegn and her colleagues, including Dr. Addisu Worku Teshome, are committed to bringing change to Ethiopia’s pediatric eye care. The national task force, comprised of entities from across the country, includes representatives from the Ministry of Health and receives funding from AMCC. They are also collaborating with international partners like St. Jude’s and TACCO, which assist in financing critical RB initiatives and symposiums, including SIOP Africa, a leading pediatric oncology conference.
To tackle RB, Ethiopian healthcare providers are not only raising awareness but also training medical personnel to detect leukocoria and perform life-saving treatments such as laser therapy and cryotherapy. Dr. Addisu noted the need for further training on these techniques, for which they’ve received help from Kenyan colleagues like Dr. Kahaki Kimani. Two major symposiums were held this year: one during RB Week, which relied on mass media and social media to spread awareness, and another in collaboration with Sheva Medical College.
As the collaboration between KTG and Ethiopian doctors grows with an awareness campaign planned by KTG for the future, Megan emphasized that even in the short term the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) “Love Your Eyes Kids” initiative, focusing on early detection in children this year, would be a perfect complement to Ethiopia’s ongoing efforts. By bringing attention to children during World Sight Day, the country can better identify RB cases earlier, giving children a fighting chance.
KnowTheGlow’s campaign work could make a life-saving difference in Ethiopia, and with passionate advocates like Dr. Dessalegn , Dr. Bezawit and Dr. Teshome, leading the charge, there is hope that more children will be saved from preventable blindness and death. This collaboration highlights the power of unity in fighting curable diseases like retinoblastoma and the vital importance of early diagnosis. With continued support from organizations like KnowTheGlow and international collaboration, the future looks brighter for children in Ethiopia.
