Doctors at the Eye Care Unit of the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) have commenced a week long awareness creation on devastating eye disease called Glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.
Premised on the rate of its prevalence in Ghana, they are vociferously urging the public to visit approved eye centers for eye screening for early detection and management.
The above move came to bare as the time medics at the eye unit of KATH were celebrating their version of this year’s World Glaucoma Week under the theme: “Uniting for a Glaucoma Free World”.
During the launch on Monday, 9th March, 2024, Opthalmologist at KATH Eye Unit, Dr. Maame Gyasiwaa Boah Antwi described as staggering, statistics on the prevalence rate of Glaucoma in Ghana and globally.
Referencing a 2015 statistics, she disclosed in her presentation that the disease accounts for 19.4 percent of blindness in Ghana.
She indicated that globally, Glaucoma has affected 70 million people and that the figure is likely to shoot up to 95.4 million by the year 2030.
“By the year 2040, about 111.8 million people are estimated to have Glaucoma”, she indicated.
Dr. Gyasiwaa mentioned that as the situation stands now, about 7.7 million people have some form of blindness caused by Glaucoma.
“It is usually symptomless but it happens and so there is the need to get your eyes checked.
When you have it, you wouldn’t know you have it because it doesn’t give any warning sign but when you get your eyes checked, an eye care professional can detect wether you have it or not.
The blindness from Glaucoma is preventable but the damage caused is irreversible”, she warned.
Dr. Angelina Ampong, a member of the Glaucoma team at KATH, also enlightened that West Africa has one of the highest prevalences of Glaucoma.
She therefore urged the public to take advantage of all approved eye care centers and get their eyes screened for early detection and better management of the disease.
About Glaucoma: The Silent Thief of Sight
Glaucoma is an eye condition that damages the optic nerve.
This damage can lead to vision loss or blindness.
The optic nerve sends visual information from your eye to the brain and is vital for good vision.
Damage to the optic nerve is often related to high pressure in the eye. But glaucoma can happen even with typical eye pressure.
Glaucoma can happen at any age but is more common in older adults.
It is one of the leading causes of blindness for people over the age of 60.
Many forms of glaucoma have no warning signs. The effect is so gradual that you may not notice a change in vision until the condition is in its later stages.
It’s important to have regular eye exams that include measurements of your eye pressure. If glaucoma is found early, vision loss can be slowed or prevented. If you have glaucoma, you’ll need treatment or monitoring for the rest of your life.
