EDITORIAL: Saudi genetic ophthalmology research: The local and global impact

Eye disorders rank high in the list of morbid conditions in all societies. Their landscape is strikingly different, however, between developed countries and those that are still low in the development ladder. As is typical of other organ systems, infectious diseases tend to occupy a fat slice of the frequency pie chart for eye disorders in underdeveloped countries. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has made significant strides in the recent past in addressing public health priorities and this has resulted in a changing pattern that is slowly conforming to that typical of more developed countries where infectious diseases are giving way to chronic diseases, ophthalmology being no exception in this trend.