Azernews.Az

Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences (ANAS) has hosted a round table dedicated to the 102nd anniversary of the birth of outstanding ophthalmologist, Academician Zarifa Aliyeva, Azernews reports.

The event was jointly organized by the ANAS Presidium, the New Azerbaijan Party organization of the Institute of Manuscripts named after Muhammad Fuzuli, the Women's Council, the departments of the study of manuscripts of the Turkic world and Turkic-language manuscripts.

Before the round table began, participants visited an exhibition prepared by the Institute of Manuscripts dedicated to Academician Zarifa Aliyeva.

The round table on the topic "In the Light of Zarifa Aliyeva: Woman and Statehood" was opened by the President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Academician Isa Habibbayli.

In his speech, he underlined that events dedicated to the anniversary of Zarifa Aliyeva, an outstanding scientist who made a significant contribution to the development of Azerbaijani science, healthcare and public thought, are being held in scientific institutions and organizations of the Academy.

He pointed out that the current event was organized in a special format at the initiative of the Institute of Manuscripts, where medieval manuscripts of the 12th-17th centuries dedicated to medicine, the field to which Academician Zarifa Aliyeva dedicated her life, are being displayed.

The Academician Isa Habibbayli emphasized that the academician's scientific merits in the field of ophthalmology are recognized not only in Azerbaijan, but also throughout the former Soviet Union and beyond. He noted that Zarifa Aliyeva is considered one of the founders of ophthalmological science in the USSR and the founder of this industry in Azerbaijan.

He also noted that significant scientific directions and practical innovations that have found wide practical application and are highly appreciated in the professional environment are associated with the name of Zarifa Aliyeva.

“Prevention of trachoma and development of its treatment methods in Azerbaijan are inextricably linked with the name of Academician Zarifa Aliyeva. On her initiative, medical teams were formed that actively fought the disease in Baku and the regions of the country. Zarifa khanum also has a special merit in the fight against eye diseases that occur in industrial enterprises. On her initiative, laboratories were created in a number of industries where diagnostics and treatment of occupational diseases of the organs of vision were carried out on site. Thanks to her scientific and practical activities, Academician Zarifa Aliyeva laid the foundations of industrial ophthalmology in Azerbaijan,” Isa Habibbayli said.

The speakers noted that on the initiative of Zarifa Aliyeva, a specialized laboratory for the study of occupational pathology of the organ of vision was created at the Institute of Physiology. Large-scale scientific research was conducted here and highly qualified ophthalmologists were trained. For this scientific activity, the academician was awarded the Prize of the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences named after Academician M.I. Averbakh, demonstrating to the whole world the strength and intellect of an Azerbaijani woman.

Isa Habibbayli emphasized that the memory of Zarifa Aliyeva is immortalized in the name of the National Ophthalmology Center, lyceums and streets. He said that her nobility, humanity, personality and scientific heritage continue to serve as an example for everyone and contribute to the development of Azerbaijani science.

Director of the Institute of Manuscripts, Academician Teymur Kerimli emphasized in his speech that Zarifa Aliyeva's path from an ordinary doctor to an academician reflects her as a true intellectual with a high spiritual world. He noted that her scientific research and achievements occupy a special place in the history of medical science in Azerbaijan. The name of Zarifa Aliyeva evokes the image of a true Azerbaijani woman - a faithful companion in life, a devoted mother, a selfless doctor and a respected scientist.

Speaking about the life and scientific work of Zarifa Aliyeva, Vice-President of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences, Academician Irada Huseynova noted that she stood at the origins of the national school of ophthalmology, since 1968 she purposefully dealt with issues of professional diseases of the visual organs. In 1976, she defended her doctoral dissertation on the topic "The state of the visual organ of workers in the chemical industry of Azerbaijan" at the Helmholtz Institute of Eye Diseases in Moscow. In 1977, she was awarded the academic degree of Doctor of Medical Sciences, and in 1979 - the title of professor in the Department of Eye Diseases.

All these areas are reflected in her fundamental monographs: "Therapeutic Ophthalmology", "Current Problems of Ophthalmology", "Herpetic Eye Disease", "Acute Viral Conjunctivitis", "Physiology of Tear Drainage", "Iridology" and others, which made a significant contribution to the world ophthalmological science.

The Academician-Secretary of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences Arif Gashimov, Deputy of the Azerbaijani Parliament Ulviya Aghayeva, Chairman of the Yasamal District Organization of the New Azerbaijan Party Bakhtiyar Nabiyev and Head of the Research of the Turkic World Manuscripts Department at the Institute of Manuscripts, Associate Professor Aygul Hajiyeva also addressed the event.

In their remarks, they emphasized that Zarifa Aliyeva was a worthy representative of the Azerbaijani woman - a faithful wife, mother, doctor, scientist and public figure, whose high culture, nobility, sophistication, humanity and bright mind earned the respect and love of all who knew her.