Azerbaijan marks birth anniversary of prominent ophthalmologist Zarifa Aliyeva

Azerbaijan is marking the 102nd birth anniversary of distinguished ophthalmologist and academician Zarifa Aliyeva, a leading figure in medical science and education.

Born on April 28, 1923, in the Sharur district of Nakhchivan, Aliyeva was a full member of the Azerbaijan National Academy of Sciences and an Honored Scientist. She made major contributions to the study and treatment of eye diseases, particularly in the fields of occupational pathology and trachoma.

Aliyeva initiated the establishment of Azerbaijan’s first specialized ophthalmology research laboratory and developed new treatment methods that gained wide application. Over her career, she authored 12 monographs and around 150 scientific works, and held several patents and innovation proposals.

She graduated from the Azerbaijan State Medical Institute in 1947 and later held senior positions at the Azerbaijan Physicians Improvement Institute, where she led research and training efforts in ophthalmology.

In recognition of her scientific achievements, she was awarded the M.I. Averbakh Prize by the USSR Academy of Medical Sciences in 1981.

Aliyeva, who passed away in 1985 in Moscow, was reburied in Baku’s Alley of Honor in 1994.