During last three years, more than 57,000 eye-patients in remote area
of Afghanistan have been treated by mobile health teams for eye cares of
the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), said the Deputy Minister of
Public Health, addressing in ceremony of World Sight Day Marking on
Wednesday.
World Sight Day under the theme of "Universal Eye Health” was marked by
Afghanistan Public Health Ministry here in Kabul with participation of
representatives from WHO, IAM, SERVE and a number of other governmental
and nongovernmental organizations.
Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Najia Tariq, deputy minister of MoPH for
health care provision said "mobile health teams for eye cares of the
MoPH, during the last three years has created 36 camps in different
provinces of the country, as a result, more than 57, 000 eye-patients
have been treated in which 4676 of them obtained again their eye vision
and as well as eye glasses have been distributed to more than 9, 850 eye
patients.
Dr. Tariq further said, the development of eye facilities at the
provincial level, launching of mobile eye care camps, integrating of eye
cares into Basic Package of Health Services (BPHS) are the mean
activities of MoPH towards treatment and preventing of the eye-diseases.
Meanwhile at ceremony, WHO representative, Dr. Eshfaq Ahmad spoke on
the issue, saying estimated shows that more 285 million people worldwide
are visually impaired, and yet preventable causes are as high as 80% of
the global visual impairment burden. 90% of blind people live in
developing countries, and this needless waste costs individuals,
families and communities billions of dollars every year.
The main causes of blindness in Afghanistan which are counted the main
eye problems as well, are reported to be cataract, corneal opacity (due
to trachoma and vitamin A deficiency), refractive error, glaucoma and
trauma and every year around 25000 Afghans loose vision in one of their
eyes. Studies show that blindness is more common in females than in
males.
Eye diseases and blindness are common and a public health problem in
Afghanistan. An estimate of 400 000 people are blind (around 1.5 % of
the population in Afghanistan), more than 90% of blindness is
preventable and curable.
