Eighty per cent of the 25,000 cases of blindness and visual impairment in the country could have been prevented.
Cataract accounts for 50 per cent of blindness in Ghana, with other causes attributed to glaucoma, trachoma, onchocerciasis, refractive errors and different conditions of childhood blindness.
The Minister of Health, Mr Alex Segbefia, made this known in Accra yesterday at the launch of this year’s World Sight Day (WSD).
The event, which was under the auspices of the Ghana Health Service (GHS), with support from organisations such as the Swiss Red Cross Society, Sight Savers and Standard Chartered Bank, was on the theme: “Eye Care for All”.
The WSD was first marked on October 8, 1998 by the Lion’s Club, in partnership with other blindness prevention organisations.
It is celebrated annually to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), the world’s population was ageing and blindness from chronic conditions was rising.
Speaking at the event, Mr Segbefia said there was a correlation between eyesight and poverty, as blindness and visual impairment made people economically inactive.
He, therefore, stressed the need for all stakeholders to step up efforts at creating awareness of blindness and visual impairment.
For his part, the Head of the Eye Unit at the GHS, Dr Oscar Debrah, said loss of sight caused enormous suffering to affected individuals and their families.
“This highlights the importance of the WSD which creates the opportunity for awareness creation and advocacy,” he said.
He said there was the need to live up to the requirement of the Global Action Plan for the Prevention of Blindness and Visual Impairment which targets a 25 per cent reduction in avoidable blindness and visual impairment by 2019.
Source: Graphic.com.gh
