From Fred Ezeh, Abuja
An estimated seven million people in Nigeria are blind.
National President of the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA), Obinna Awiaka, disclosed this when addressed newsmen in Abuja, ahead of the NOA 45th national conference and vision expo, yesterday.
He said 80 per cent of the causes of the blindness and visual disabilities across the world are avoidable.
“Many people don’t do periodic eye examinations or take preventive measures early, and in some cases, they choose to patronise quacks who, often times, worsened their problems, thereby, causing them to spend more money than they ought to,” he said.
Awiaka said the resources needed to achieve healthy eye sight is about 15 per cent of what Nigeria or individual stand to gain in productivity per annum if the fight against blindness is effectively done.
“The massive brain drain of eye care professionals and other health care professionals from Nigeria to other countries has further worsened the burden of blindness statistics in the country, and this calls for urgent attention from all stakeholders, if we do not hope to experience a blindness pandemic,” Awiaka said.
He called on government to urgently address the issues surrounding the plight of healthcare workers in Nigeria, to give the country a fighting chance to avoid impending blindness epidemic.
He said eye car at all levels of healthcare, especially primary eye care, needs maximum attention to ensure more people are reached, suggesting that employment of more optometrists will go a long way in achieving that.
He promised that, as eye care professionals, they would continue to give their best to help change the narrative, thus calling on all potential stakeholders to join to improve eye health care delivery service in Nigeria.
He, however, explained that the national conference with the theme, “Leveraging on partnerships to transform optometry and eye care in West Africa,” is an opportunities for experts and other stakeholders to discuss issues concerning the profession, exchange ideas, knowledge and skills, on how best to tackle challenges and promote the profession for the betterment of Nigerians.
Awiaka confirmed that during the conference, there would be scientific sessions on research findings, innovations and advances in eye care by optometrists and other major players in the eye care industry.