The SMAB met in Johannesburg on Monday 24 August 1998. Professor Trevor Carmichael and Professor Raj Ramesar reported on the International RP Congress in Switzerland and the follow-up Retinal Congress held in Germany immediately thereafter.

The Board decided on two strategic plans to maximise on recent research advances. These are:

1. To explore ways to prepare South African patients for future therapy trials by genotyping and phenotyping existing patients.

2. To investigate the possibility of epidemiology studies to ascertain the extent of occurrence of retinal degeneration in South Africa.