Glaucoma is a group of eye conditions that damage the optic nerve, the health of which is vital for good vision.
This damage is often caused by abnormally high pressure in the eye and the disease is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.
Globally, about 80 million people around the globe have glaucoma and the figure is expected to increase to more than 111 million by 2040, the National Glaucoma Research Report (2020) indicates.
Ghana statistics
According to the Report approximately 700,000 Ghanaians lived with the eye disease which has consequently blinded 60,000 people.
Findings from a recent national survey in Ghana show that over 19 per cent of blindness is a result of glaucoma, an indication that one out of five cases of blindness is caused by the disease, according to Dr Naamuah Tagoe, a consultant ophthalmologist at the Korle Bu Eye Clinic in Accra.
World Glaucoma Week (WGW)
The World Glaucoma Association (WGA) has set aside March 6 to 12 every year as the World Glaucoma Week (WGW) to create awareness of glaucoma.
During these periods, health professionals around the globe outline series activities to highlight causes and symptoms and the devastating effects of glaucoma.
The theme for the 2022 WGW is “the world is bright, save your sight”.
Causes
Though, remote causes of glaucoma remain unclear, there are risk factors that contribute to glaucoma and avoiding these risk factors remain imperative.
“An individual stands at risk if he or she has persistent visual injuries. This could happen when dust and liquids enter and cause injuries to the eye”, says Dr Ignatius Yeboah, a lead Optometrist and the Chief Executive Officer of the Sunyani-based St Ignatius Eye Clinic.
He therefore called on everybody to try as much as possible to protect the eyes against injuries.
There is also the need for everybody to focus attention on eye care services to reduce the burden of eye complications and vision loss.
Dr Yeboah called on the general public to go for regular and comprehensive eye examination to detect early symptoms for medical attention.
He said the nation also required a policy guideline that would ensure eye care services were included in Primary Health Care at all levels to strengthen quality eye services delivery in the country.
“Institutions of high studies must also conduct and promote high-quality research which would offer better solutions to glaucoma that hangs around the neck of the world”, Dr Yeboah stated.
Just eight years to go, Ghana must upscale her interventions and measures to achieve the set target of the goal three of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of achieving universal health coverage.
This includes financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all.
Emmanuel Gyan/Skynewsroom
