World Sight Day today

webmaster Health Watch, Normal
Source:

The National, Thursday October 10th, 2013

 EYE-care stakeholders will celebrate World Sight Day today with a number of activities around the country. 

These include :

  • Public awareness talks at Madang market on eye-care and the importance of getting your eyes tested organised by the Fred Hollows Foundation Eye Clinic team;
  • a public rally at Tabari Place in Boroko, Port Moresby, led by PNG Eye Care, the Port Moresby General Hospital eyeclinic and the St John’s Services for the Blind will involve awareness on eye care and free public eye screening, plus a presentation by the fire brigade at 12pm;
  • a blindfold-walk from Valoka Primary School to Valoka Health Centre  and free public eye screening organised by Valoka Health Centre in West New Britain; and,
  • a blindfold-walk in  Buka ending with a public awareness on the importance of eye care and free  public eye screening  organised by the Buka General Hospital, Callan Services and PNG Eye Care.

The prevalence of blindness and visual impairment throughout PNG is high.  

Studies show that 29.2% of people over the age of 50 have vision impairment (poor vision) and 8.9% of people over the age of 50 had functional blindness.  

Research also showed refractive error – need for glasses (45.7%) and cataract (35.2%) – was the most frequent causes of vision impairment. 

The week of events will culminate with the presentation of the first World Sight Day report at a cocktail party to be hosted by PNG Eye Care in Port Moresby on behalf of the National Prevention of Blindness Committee PNG.  

The high commissioners of Australia and New Zealand will be among guests.

World Sight Day is an international day of awareness, held annually on the second Thursday of October to focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. 

The theme of World Sight Day 2013 is “Universal eye health”. 

PNG’s chief ophthalmologist Dr Simon Melengas and National Prevention of Blindness Committee president Dr Jambi Garap called on people to  get to know about their personal eye care and “get tested”.

Melenges said:  “In PNG, there are hundreds of thousands who are afflicted by eye conditions.”