Objectives Retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) will become a major cause of blindness in Nigerian children unless screening and treatment services expand. This article aims to describe the collaborative activities undertaken to improve services for ROP between 2017 and 2020 as well as the outcome of these activities in Nigeria. Design Descriptive case study. Setting Neonatal intensive care units in Nigeria. Participants Staff providing services for ROP, and 723 preterm infants screened for ROP who fulfilled screening criteria (gestational age <34 weeks or birth weight ≤2000 g, or sickness criteria). Methods and analysis A WhatsApp group was initiated for Nigerian ophthalmologists and neonatologists in 2018. Members participated in a range of capacity-building, national and international collaborative activities between 2017 and 2018. A national protocol for ROP was developed for Nigeria and adopted in 2018; 1 year screening outcome data were collected and analysed. In 2019, an esurvey was used to collect service data from WhatsApp group members for 2017–2018 and to assess challenges in service provision. Results In 2017 only six of the 84 public neonatal units in Nigeria provided ROP services; this number had increased to 20 by 2018. Of the 723 babies screened in 10 units over a year, 127 (17.6%) developed any ROP; and 29 (22.8%) developed type 1 ROP. Only 13 (44.8%) babies were treated, most by intravitreal bevacizumab. The screening criteria were revised in 2020. Challenges included lack of equipment to regulate oxygen and to document and treat ROP, and lack of data systems. Conclusion ROP screening coverage and quality improved after national and international collaborative efforts. To scale up and improve services, equipment for neonatal care and ROP treatment is urgently needed, as well as systems to monitor data. Ongoing advocacy is also essential. Data are available upon reasonable request.

中文翻译：

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加强尼日利亚早产儿筛查和治疗服务的视网膜病变：2017-2020 年活动、挑战和结果的案例研究

目标 除非扩大筛查和治疗服务，否则早产儿视网膜病变 (ROP) 将成为尼日利亚儿童失明的主要原因。本文旨在描述 2017 年至 2020 年间为改善 ROP 服务而开展的合作活动，以及这些活动在尼日利亚的成果。设计描述性案例研究。在尼日利亚设置新生儿重症监护病房。参与者 为 ROP 提供服务的工作人员，以及 723 名符合筛查标准（胎龄 <34 周或出生体重 ≤2000 g 或疾病标准）的早产儿进行 ROP 筛查。方法和分析 2018 年为尼日利亚眼科医生和新生儿科医生发起了一个 WhatsApp 小组。成员在 2017 年至 2018 年期间参与了一系列能力建设、国家和国际合作活动。为尼日利亚制定并于 2018 年通过的 ROP 国家协议；收集和分析了 1 年的筛查结果数据。2019 年，一项调查用于从 WhatsApp 集团成员收集 2017-2018 年的服务数据，并评估服务提供方面的挑战。结果 2017 年，尼日利亚 84 个公立新生儿科中只有 6 个提供了 ROP 服务；到 2018 年，这一数字已增加到 20 个。在一年内分 10 个单位进行筛查的 723 名婴儿中，127 名 (17.6%) 出现任何 ROP；29 人（22.8%）开发了 1 型 ROP。只有 13 名 (44.8%) 婴儿接受了治疗，大多数是通过玻璃体内注射贝伐单抗。筛查标准于 2020 年进行了修订。挑战包括缺乏调节氧气、记录和治疗 ROP 的设备，以及缺乏数据系统。结论 ROP 筛查覆盖率和质量经过国家和国际合作努力得到改善。为了扩大和改善服务，迫切需要新生儿护理和ROP治疗设备，以及监测数据的系统。持续的宣传也是必不可少的。可根据合理要求提供数据。