3 Communities in C/R declared avoidable blindness free

Two communities in the Mfantseman Municipality in the Central Region, Amprefu and Kyekyewere, have been declared free from avoidable blindness.

This brings to three the communities declared avoidable blindness free in the country.

Asafra, another community in the municipality, was earlier declared avoidable blindness free a few months ago.

Blind population 

About 230,000 of the country's population are blind, with about 300,000 others having severe visual impairment caused by cataract, and uncorrected refractive errors, glaucoma, cornea diseases and posterior segment diseases.

More than 124,000 people, representing 54 per cent of cases, is as a result of cataract, a preventable condition.

For a community to be declared avoidable blindness free, all persons with visual acuity of 6/60 or worse in the community must have been identified and treated.

Also, at least 75 per cent of the community should have received education on eye care and blindness, and treatment provided to everyone who needs care in the entire population of the community.

The declaration followed a project undertaken under Operation Eyesight Universal's flagship programme, Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Project (HBCEHP), being implemented in the Mfantseman Municipality since 2017, in collaboration with the Mfantseman Municipal Health Directorate.

Operation Eyesight Universal seeks to partner local health institutions to eliminate avoidable blindness on a sustainable basis from vulnerable communities.

So far, 738 eye surgeries have been undertaken by Operation Eyesight Universal in the municipality in collaboration with the municipal health directorate.

The beneficiaries include the Chief of Kyekyewere, Nana Egyir Mensa VII, who said he got totally blind in the left eye but could now see after seeking eye care services.

The Head of the National Eye Care Unit of the Ghana Health Services, Dr Afake Hornametor, said eye health was crucial for individuals, stressing that its impact on the individual and communities was enormous.

He noted, for instance, that many children did not excel in school due to bad eye sight, while many elderly people with eye sight problems often became dependent on others.

Eye care habits

Dr Hornametor advised the communities to continue to adopt habits that would prevent blindness by promptly seeking medical attention for eye problems.

He indicated that the National Cataract Outreach Programme was being undertaken across the country to reduce the prevalence rate of 0.74 blindness.

The Technical Director of Operation Eyesight Universal, Dr Boateng Wiafe, said those who needed surgeries had it done, while those with glaucoma and other conditions were on the relevant treatment to ensure there was no avoidable blindness.

Commendation

The Medical Director of the Saltpond Government Hospital, Dr Michael Gyasi Danso, commended Operation Eyesight Universal for the renovation of its eye unit, where the surgeries were done, and the training of its personnel for improved eye care services in the municipality.

He said the project had improved access, equitable and quality health care for all.

Dr Danso expressed the hope that at least 10 communities would become avoidable blindness free in the municipality.
The Municipal Director of Health, Gifty Ankrah, said the eye was the light to the whole body, and when adversely impacted it would affect the patient socio-economically.

She urged the communities to promptly seek eye care services to sustain the health of their sights.

Another beneficiary of the project, Kofi Kyah, advised the community to seek professional eye care services before a situation deteriorated.