World Glaucoma Week: Obaseki advocates multi-stakeholder collaboration to manage ailment

Edo State Governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, has called for sustained awareness efforts to reduce blindness caused by glaucoma, urging for increased collaboration among public and private stakeholders for testing and management of the disease.   

Obaseki made the call in commemoration of the World Glaucoma Week, an annual weeklong event marked between March 11 to 18. It is marked across the globe by the World Glaucoma Association and the World Glaucoma Patient Association.

According to Obaseki, “There is need for sustained awareness campaign to educate people on the need to go for regular eye screening as a measure to prevent glaucoma.

“We have prioritised the revamp of our health institutions in Edo State to cater to the needs of the people, as healthcare is a cardinal mission for the state. In the 2018 budget, we set aside N2.3bn for the health sector, to drive reforms and infrastructural renewal that will make public health care accessible and affordable.”

The 2018 theme of the weeklong event is “Green = Get Your Eyes tested for Glaucoma:  Save Your Sight.”

Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness across the globe, after cataract.

“Religious groups, traditional rulers and Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) should complement government’s effort in leading awareness campaigns on the need to submit to regular eye checks to prevent Glaucoma,” he noted.

Obaseki added, “Since Glaucoma occurs without any visible symptom, it is important for people to know about its existence and the damage it can cause to the eyes.

“Early detection of Glaucoma through regular eye screening is essential in managing the disease. Much as government has a number of health issues to attend to, it is encouraging that health missions have done a lot in detecting and treating glaucoma. This is important to stop the disease from getting to the critical stage when blindness becomes irreversible.”