…Sponsors free eye screening
Stephen Ukandu, Umuahia
Wife of Abia State Governor, Mrs Priscilla Otti, has tasked parents to make “child eye health an urgent priority” to save them from preventable blindness.
The Governor’s wife who spoke at a rally held at Ibeku High School Umuahia in commemoration of this year’s World Sight Day, urged parents to consciously present their children for regular eye screening.
According to her, early detection of eye defects is crucial for their treatment or management.
Mrs Otti who said the establishment of Eye Health Management Bureau by her husband, Gov. Alex Otti, was a demonstration of his concern for the health of the people, urged residents to take advantage of the transformation in the state health sector to enjoy better health care.
The Governor’s wife who described eyes as very sensitive organs of the body, urged everyone to give special attention to their eye health.
“Our eyes are a window to the beauty of the world, a gateway to knowledge and opportunity. They connect us to those we love and the dreams we hold dear. Yet, across Abia State, too many of our children are facing preventable vision challenges—often undiagnosed or untreated, particularly in rural areas. This is not the reality they deserve.
“We have the responsibility not just to treat, but to prevent blindness and vision impairment. Our children deserve to grow, learn, and play with clear vision, unburdened by the avoidable challenges of poor eye health.
“We must move swiftly and with purpose. By making eye health a priority, we can ensure that every child in Abia State, regardless of where they live, has access to proper care. This starts with regular eye screenings, accessible eye clinics, and programmes that extend to every corner of our communities.”
In a remark, Commissioner for Health Professor Ogbonnaya Uche, said early detection of eye diseases “is very crucial for their treatment.”
The Commissioner who was represented by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Health, Dr Ifeyinwa Uma-Kalu, said that children who wear medically -recommended eye glasses should not be stigmatised.
He advised parents to strictly adhere to expert instructions on the eye health of their children to prevent loss of sight.
In a remark, a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, ABSUTH, Aba, Dr Charles Uchendu, said two out of every 1000 Nigerians are blind, while 16 out of every 1000 are visually impaired.
He advised parents to present their children for regular eye checks to ascertain their vision status for early corrections.
He also advised against patronising quacks, herbalists for eye ailments or buying eye drops without prescription from experts.
“The eye does not forgive. Any mistake on the eye may not be reversed, so, it’s better the cases are detected early and handled by experts.”
He commended Gov Otti for heavy investments in the state health sector, attesting that ABSUTH and other health institutions in the state are now receiving state attention.
Earlier in her address, the Administrator, Abia Health Management Bureau, Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi, hinted that State Government had selected 120 teachers from both public and private schools in the state for training on how to recognise basic symptoms of eye defects.
This, according to her, is to educate them on how to identify pupils with eye defects in their schools for proper medical attention.
Mrs Emeka-Obasi decried the high rate of eye defects in the country, and advocated regular eye screening instead of pointing accusing fingers to suspected ‘enemies’ as being behind visual impairments.
Meanwhile, she announced that the state had extended free eye screening for children up to age 17 till October 14 at the Abia State Diagnostic Centre Umuahia.
Dr Mrs Emeka-Obasi who gave the theme of this year’s celebration as “Love Your Eyes, Kids,” identified refractive errors as the leading cause of visual impairments and blindness in children.
Citing UNICEF statistics, Mrs Emeka-Obasi said “450 million children globally, have some form of sight correction requiring medical intervention; 90 million live with sight loss while 448 million suffer from refractive errors.”
Mrs Emeka-Obasi who also doubles as the Special Assistant to the Governor on Special Duties, said special outreaches were held in six public schools in each of the three senatorial zones as part of the activities marking this year’s celebration.
She said that 3,600 pupils and 200 teachers had been screened, adding that they would be issued with free prescription glasses courtesy of the State Government.
There was a free eye screening and distribution of eye glasses to persons with eye defects.
