BY PATRICK MGBODO
The eye often described as the window to the world remains one of the most neglected organs in the human body. Yet, its role in the overall well-being of man is indispensable. Sadly, this neglect, sometimes subtle and ignorance, often leads to devastating consequences, the most tragic being blindness.
With an estimated 285 million people worldwide living with visual impairment, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO) nearly 80 per cent of which are preventable or treatable the global observance of World Sight Day every second Thursday in October has become more than a necessity; it is an urgent call to action.
To this end, the Delta State Government, through the Ministry of Health and in collaboration with its partners, marked this year’s World Sight Day with the theme “Love Your Eyes: Access to Eye Care for All.” The event featured a sensitisation road walk in Asaba aimed at amplifying the importance of eye care and raising public awareness on the need for regular eye check-ups.
Addressing journalists during the observance, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Dr. (Mrs.) Philomena Okeowo underscored the significance of the event, noting that this year’s theme was both timely and apt as it highlights the crucial need for equitable access to eye health services for all.
‘’The World Sight Day is celebrated globally every second Thursday of October. For some years now, the theme has been ‘’Love Your Eyes’’. This year, there is a focus on access to eye health, and we are also concentrating on the people’’ Dr Okeowo said.
On some of the measures undertaken by the state government to promote eye health, Dr Okeowo said, “A lot is going on, even in collaboration with the federal government. The federal government has also been doing a lot through their Hope Initiative, providing free testing and eyeglasses for the people of Delta State.
‘’That project is actually through the Primary Health Care because it is being implemented at the grassroots. We have always had elements of Primary Health Care, and now, we also have Primary Eye Care. So, at the Primary Healthcare level, the personnel there can test and treat minor ailments of the eye and refer the ones that they cannot deal with.
‘’Apart from that, we are also collaborating with partners. Free cataract surgeries are also ongoing in the state. Not only that, the state government is also quick to grant us approvals for anything we want to do on eye health. We celebrate Glaucoma Week, creating awareness. We work with the various specialists in the eye health space: the ophthalmologist, the optometrist, and even the optician. So, we are doing a lot in creating awareness. I think many people are getting more aware. We are also training specialists in the state’’ she said.
Long seen as a luxury for the privileged, eye care has often carried an elitist tag, with many believing that they cannot afford eye care until they have hundreds of thousands — a fallacy Dr Okeowo decisively shattered during the observance. According to her, ‘’Thinking that going for eye check-ups is for the elites is a big misconception and a very terrible myth.
‘’Going to the government hospitals, I do not think they charge for eye checks. They will just obtain your card. The first place you go to is to see the Optometrist, that’s for refractive problems. Then, if it is not refractive, the person is referred to the Ophthalmologist. It is very simple and easy. So, we encourage people.’’
She added that preventive measures must be deliberately taken for people to enjoy eye health, adding, ‘’By the time you are going for curative, the damage has been done. People must get to know the level of their blood sugar to prevent cataract, which is a very common cause of blindness. With just a simple surgery, the person will regain his or her sight. Yet, people are suffering unduly and unnecessarily.
‘’Glaucoma, which is a great cause of blindness, can be addressed once it is detected early because its progress can be stalled. However, if it is not quickly addressed, since it is progressive, it gets to a point where it cannot be reversed. So, it is mainly preventive, and that is what we are advocating. People must go and check their eyes. We are also engaging in plenty of free campaigns’’ she said.
Despite the government’s numerous interventions, certain initiatives appear to wither once their initiators are no longer on the scene. Reacting to this worrisome trend, Dr Okeowo said, ‘’There is a plan for rural health. We have a budget for that, and we have written our memo. We will go around so many communities in Delta State. It will not be only eye health. It will encompass everything.’’
During the road walk, Dr Vivian Chukwuemeka of the Nigerian Optometric Association, noted some common eye diseases which she categorised as preventable and non-preventable. ‘’The ones we are creating awareness for are the preventable eye diseases, such as cataract and glaucoma. When we create this awareness, people can know what to do and what not to do and also go for regular eye checks so that those preventable eye diseases can be identified and then managed or treated and even prevented.’’
‘’A global figure of about 3.2 million have been diagnosed with cataract and other preventable eye diseases, which is why we advocate that governments, corporate bodies and privileged individuals should support eye care to help us bring this awareness to the grassroots.
‘’We encourage everybody to go for an eye check at least once a year. You don’t go there because you have a problem. You do not go there only when you notice something. But you present yourself to know the condition of your eye health’’ she said.
On simple lifestyle habits that promote eye health, Dr Chukwuemeka said ‘’Ensure regular exercise, protect your eyes from the sun with glasses, eat healthy meals and protect your eyes from the rays of the computer.’’
Corroborating earlier speakers on the significance of World Sight Day, the representative of the Association of Nigerian Dispensing Opticians (ANDO), Delta State Chapter, Oreva Ikpele-Magbeor, dispelled common myths associated with those who put on medicated glasses.
‘’A pair of glasses can change someone’s life. If you have any vision disorder, do well to meet the eye professionals so that you can get your eyes examined. Wearing glasses is not a sin. It means you want to see people and things better and clearer. Wear your glasses with pride. Do well to put your glasses on’’ he said.
Across major junctions, particularly in urban centres, it has become increasingly common to see hawkers peddling eyeglasses as though they were ordinary commodities, often claiming to cure or correct eye problems. Reacting to this, Optician Oreva said, ‘’It is not just unhealthy, it is very unprofessional.
‘’We have the professional eye health team. We have the ophthalmologist, the optometrist, and the opticians, among other professionals. Going to the roadside to buy glasses is at your own risk. It will even do you worse than the eye challenges you may be experiencing. Do not patronise quacks. We are against quackery. If you have any eye challenges, do well to visit any of the government hospitals or any eye clinic to meet the professionals so that you will get a proper examination.
‘’You are supposed to do a proper eye examination before glasses are recommended. Those selling glasses in the market or at junctions are quacks. Do not patronise them. Visit the hospital to get your eyes tested. Check your eyes yearly so that you can see clearly’’ he said.
Remarking, the Delta State Coordinator for the WHO Field Office, Dr Ibrahim Salisu, commended Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and the state government for the significant investments in strengthening the healthcare system to ensure access to quality healthcare, including eye care.
‘’Today, we join the government of Delta State and other partners to commemorate World Sight Day. WHO has designated every second Thursday of October as an opportunity for us to raise global awareness about the importance of eye care and eye health. We have gone around the city of Asaba, and I am sure the people have been adequately sensitised on the need to embark on practices that will protect their eye health.
‘’The WHO has joined the Ministry of Health in sensitising the people of Asaba. Our teams have been working closely with the staff in the healthcare facilities to provide basic health services and also care for the eyes. There are many preventable causes of blindness: poor diet, Vitamin A deficiency and even some infections. This is an opportunity for us to raise awareness so that people will adopt practices, including their diet and hygiene, to protect them from some of those preventable eye diseases and have better eye care.
‘’Let me also use this opportunity to reiterate the fact that poor eye care can result in many problems that can affect the quality of life, productivity, access to employment and enhanced economic opportunities. When people have good vision, they will be sought after in employment, and they can engage in practices that will enhance the quality of their lives.
‘’So, we want to use this opportunity to call on community leaders, traditional rulers and religious leaders to sensitise their subjects so that they can take eye care seriously in their homes and in their communities,’’ Dr Salisu said.
Also addressing journalists during the sensitisation campaign was the state director of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs Tracy Ikolomi, who re-echoed the importance of regular eye checks.
According to Ikolomi, ‘’Most people are not aware that their eyes are very important. So, this World Sight Day is an opportunity to tell the public that they should take care of their eyes. Do not wait until you lose your eyes before you appreciate its value. Go for regular eye check at least twice in a year so that if there is any complication, it would be arrested on time because early warning gives you more than enough opportunity to address certain challenges’’ she said.
In an exclusive interview with The Pointer, an optometrist in the Ophthalmology Department of the Asaba Specialist Hospital (ASH), Dr Amerhe Agbache, cautioned against the use of breast milk, urines and other toxic substances on their eyes while attempting to address related challenges.
‘’It is a very wrong practice to use breast milk, urine and other substances to apply to the eye. The best advice is that when you have any ocular condition, your first point of call should be an expert in the eye.
‘’I encountered a patient recently. The child was convulsing so they place alligator pepper on the child’s eye and it severely affected the eye. By the time we did some examination, we found out that the child had corneal ulcer which led to severe pains. We were able to administer treatment and the child’s vision was restored.
He explained the individual roles of the optometrist, the ophthalmologist and the optician. The optometrist is an eye doctor whose area of specialisation would include giving ocular first aid, treatment of various eye infections and conditions and also refractions. On the other hand, the Ophthalmologist is an eye surgeon who has a first degree in medicine and surgery and then specialises in the eye while the Optician is a technician specialised in fixing lenses on the frame’’
Dr Agbache further cautioned parents against acts that could damage their children’s sight in the cause of meting disciplinary measures. ‘’I encountered a case about two weeks ago of a certain child whose father asked not to come back home late and she did. When the girl came back home late, the father approached her and in the cause of the ensuing fracas, he blew the child and the eye got swollen. We place the child on some medication and the eye did not rupture. However, we have also seen situations where the eye rupture, that is the full globe exploding. In that case, the eye will have to be removed.
‘’So, our advice to parents is that when punishing children, they should be careful so that they do not do more harm than good, most especially when it comes to the area of the eyes. We have seen cases when, in the processing of caning a child, the can hit the child’s eye. This can cause severe damages, especially if it is not treated on time. It can cause a corneal scar’’ he said.
