2011 World Glaucoma Day launched in Accra
Minister of Health, Joseph Yieleh Chireh on Wednesday said the Ministry had increased intake into Ophthalmic Nursing and Training School to produce more ophthalmic nurses.
In addition, he said, more doctors were enrolled with the Ghana College of Physicians and Surgeons last year to be trained as Ophthalmologists.
Mr Yieleh Chireh, who announced this at the launch of this year’s World Glaucoma Day in Accra, also said an order was made for the importation of basic ophthalmic equipment and make screening for Glaucoma possible in Districts Hospitals.
The Day, which falls on March 12 every year, is to raise awareness on Glaucoma as the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide.
This year’s celebration is on the theme: “Glaucoma-Don’t Lose Sight of Your Family”.
Glaucoma is a worldwide epidemiological challenge and is estimated that 4.5 million persons globally are blind and this would rise to 11.2 million by 2020.
Due to the silent nature of the disease, up to 50 per cent in the developed world and more than 90 per cent in developing countries are not aware they have glaucoma.
Glaucoma exists when the intra ocular pressure has been raised over a period causing damage to the optic nerve with corresponding loss of visual function.
Untreated glaucoma results in blindness because of the irreversible damage it causes.
World Glaucoma Day, therefore, offers an opportunity to educate patients with glaucoma and those at risk for the disease by raising awareness and providing helpful tips about the importance of early diagnosis and appropriate treatment.
Mr Yieleh Chireh said the supply of basic drugs for treating glaucoma and other eye diseases would be made readily available in hospitals, and announced that the annual budgetary support for activities of the Glaucoma Association of Ghana had been increased from GH¢6,500 to GH¢10,000.
He pointed out that there was no cure for Glaucoma yet and vision loss was irreversible, but noted that medication or surgery could halt or slow down any further vision loss, therefore early detection was important.
The Sector Minister said it was for this reason that the National Eye Centre of the Ghana Health Service (GHS) had come out with a policy direction and strategy for managing the disease in Ghana as in the case with all non- communicable diseases.
He explained that the emphasis would be on raising awareness to sensitise people on early detection, putting in place screening facilities to detect cases and the management of early cases.
The National President of Glaucoma Association of Ghana (GAG), Mr Harrison Abutiate said “Vision 2020 – the right to sight” which was launched in 1999 was half way through but yet to achieve the goal of elimination of avoidable blindness by 2020.
“It is therefore our ethical and moral duty that anything that can be done, to prevent blindness and restore sight must be done,” he said.
He said from 2005 to date, GAG had sampled and observed dramatic increase (60-100 per cent) year after year, in patient attendance in various clinics and hospitals for eye checks, an indication that the awareness was increasing to enable them offer better services to clients.
Mr Abutiate urged the media to publicise glaucoma issues and commended Barclays Bank, Creative Trends and other organisations that had supported activities of the Association.
He said the association had screened over 12,600 patients over the past 16 years in some parts of the country.
Mr Abutiate said glaucoma drugs were very expensive ranging from GH¢30 to GH¢40 per month depending on the severity of the condition while surgical and laser treatment cost ranged from GH¢150 to GH¢450 depending on the damage caused to the eye.
He said early detection, screening and treatment, had become more urgent than before to prevent irreversible loss of sight.
Source: GNA