2 Institutions partner to promote eye health at Nima

More than 500 schoolchildren at Nima have undergone eye health screening as part of a collaborative initiative between the Ayawaso East Municipal Health Directorate and Clear Horizon, a non-profit organisation founded by Ghanaian-Canadian medical students.

The exercise, which began with screenings at the Nima Cluster of Schools and culminated in a community outreach programme, sought to detect eye conditions early, provide health education and link affected individuals to appropriate care.

The initiative also offered blood pressure, blood sugar, oral health and mental health screening services to community members.

One of the founders of Clear Horizon, Jeswende Seedu, a medical student at the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine, said many eye conditions often go unnoticed until they become severe, making early screening particularly important for children.

Mr Seedu said undetected vision problems could negatively affect a child's academic performance and overall development.

"Being able to catch these very early on in a child's education and development can have huge impacts not just on their education, but on their lives as a whole," he said.

Mr Seedu said conditions such as refractive errors, allergies, dry eye disease, strabismus and glaucoma could affect children and, if left untreated, lead to long-term complications.

Early intervention

Another founder, Tegwende Seedu, a student of the Dalhousie University Faculty of Medicine, said screening programmes served as preventive interventions that helped identify health concerns before they developed into more serious and costly conditions.

She said children stood to benefit significantly from early detection and treatment because they were still developing and responded better to timely interventions.

"Our children are our future, so why not invest in them?" she said.

She explained that participants whose screenings revealed potential concerns were referred to health facilities for further assessment and treatment.

Municipal support

The Municipal Director of Health Services for Ayawaso East, Dr Victor Hagan, described the partnership as an important intervention that complemented the Ghana Health Service's efforts to improve community health outcomes.

He said the directorate had prioritised outreach and screening programmes to identify diseases early and strengthen links between health facilities and the communities they serve.

"Screening services are a way of going to the community and picking up people who may not be showing symptoms of a particular disease," he said.

Dr Hagan explained that early detection enabled health professionals to implement timely interventions, resulting in better patient outcomes.

He commended the organisers for complementing the work of the health service and helping to bring healthcare closer to residents.

Call to diaspora

The Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, Mohammed Baba Jamal Ahmed, commended the organisers for bringing the initiative to Nima and urged Ghanaians living abroad to emulate the gesture by supporting development efforts in their home communities.

He expressed gratitude to the founders of Clear Horizon for returning to their roots and investing in the well-being of residents through the health outreach programme.

"We are grateful for your visit. On behalf of my people, as Member of Parliament for Ayawaso East, I thank you very much for your thoughtfulness in bringing this project to us here," he said.

The health screening was done with support from the 37 Military hospital, the Municipal Health Directorate, Jubilee Polyclinic and Nima Polyclinic.