By Asma’u Ahmad
The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) said it would support Nigeria’s the Federal Government’s programmes aimed at addressing the prevailing issues regarding eye healthcare.
President of the association, Dr Echendu Damian, gave the assurance at an event commemorating the World Sight Day in Abuja.
Our source reports that the World Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October, is a global event meant to draw attention on blindness and vision impairment. Health Reporters gathered that it was originally initiated by the Sight First Campaign of Lions Club International Foundation in 2000, and the Theme of 2016 is: “Universal Eye Health Stronger Together.”
He said: “We appreciate the current efforts aimed at addressing the pressing challenges facing the country. We still call for more effective actions from all stakeholders toward proffering solutions to the current state of affairs.
“All plans and programmes aimed at addressing the prevailing issues in the nation’s health sector will get the full support of the association.”
He urged the Federal Government to deploy optometrists to the rural areas as primary eye care providers to assist in essential eye care services to severely undeserved Nigerians.
Dr. Échendu said that restorations of sight and blindness prevention strategies were among the most cost effective interventions in healthcare.
He said that achieving the global action plan’s target of reducing avoidable blindness by 25 per cent by 2019 required more cohesive approach among all the stakeholders.
He appealed to the government to generate current, specific and reliable data with regard to magnitude and prevalence of visual impairment in the country.
According to him, it will assist in developing action plan toward making eye care accessible to all Nigerians.
He said that the association, in partnership with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), intended to screen 9,000 motorists, therefore, urged other stakeholders to build on it by providing the society with reliable information for planning.
Also, the Registrar, Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria, Prof. Ebele Uzodike, decried dearth of optometrists in the country.
Prof. Uzodike, who put the number of optometrists at 3,750, said that efforts were on to increase the number.
According to her, this number is grossly inadequate going by the World Health Organisation (WHO)’s ratio of one optometrist to about 150 to 500 people.
