Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Health experts have called for urgent and coordinated action to combat glaucoma, warning that millions of people risk losing their sight to the disease largely because it is often detected too late.
The call was made during the 2026 World Glaucoma Week Symposium held in Umuahia and organised by the Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau.
Chairman of the event and ophthalmologist, Abali Chuku, said glaucoma remains a major global health challenge, noting that about 80 million people worldwide live with the disease, while a large percentage are unaware they have it until permanent damage has occurred.
Chuku, the immediate past Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia, lamented that about 94 per cent of people living with glaucoma do not know they have the disease, describing the situation as alarming.
He stressed that preventing glaucoma-related blindness requires aggressive public enlightenment, early diagnosis and prompt treatment.
“Glaucoma should be everybody’s problem because the blindness it causes is irreversible. Early detection and proper management remain the most effective ways to prevent permanent loss of sight,” he said.
The keynote speaker, Bernardine Nsa Ekpeyong, Professor of Public Health Epidemiology at the University of Calabar, described glaucoma as the “silent thief of sight” and warned against seeking treatment from unqualified practitioners.
She identified risk factors such as age, family history, diabetes and harmful cultural beliefs, urging the public to undergo routine eye examinations and strictly adhere to prescribed medications, including eye drops.
Speaking during a panel discussion, the Abia State Commissioner for Health, Enoch Uche, said the government had taken firm steps to eliminate quackery and unsafe eye treatment practices.
According to him, the state government has outlawed quackery and couching, urging residents to seek treatment only at properly equipped health facilities.
Uche noted that the state has established functional health centres in every ward, alongside tertiary medical institutions across the three senatorial zones, to ensure residents have access to quality healthcare.
He also revealed that the South-East region records the highest prevalence of glaucoma in Nigeria, highlighting the urgent need for routine eye screening.
The commissioner added that the administration of Governor Alex Otti has introduced major reforms in the health sector, including the rollout of digital medical services, to improve access to quality care.
“This is the best time for everyone to come together and confront this terrible disease,” Uche said, urging individuals, communities and institutions to join the fight against blindness.
Earlier, the Administrator of the Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau, Betty Emeka-Obasi, identified illiteracy and quackery as major obstacles in the battle against glaucoma and other causes of blindness.
She disclosed that 6,381 cases of glaucoma were confirmed in Abia State in 2024, stressing that the disease has serious social and economic consequences for victims and their families.
Emeka-Obasi commended Governor Alex Otti for signing an Executive Order in July 2024 aimed at ensuring that no resident of Abia loses sight due to preventable causes.
She revealed that the bureau’s interventions have already produced significant results, including over 20,000 patients treated, more than 30,000 outreach programmes conducted, and over 2,000 eye surgeries performed across the state.
According to her, defeating glaucoma will require collective action involving government, traditional institutions, health professionals and faith-based organisations.
