World Glaucoma Week: Garki Hospital offers free eye treatment

To mark this year's World Glaucoma Week, Garki General Hospital will be offering free eye treatment to residents of Abuja from March 7 - 11.

The Consultant Ophthalmologist of the hospital, Dr Sewuese Bitto told the News Agency of Nigeria, NAN that the hospital would hold health talks during the period to educate the public and increase awareness about the effects of glaucoma, risk factors and how to prevent the disease.

NAN reports that World Glaucoma Week WGW is a joint global initiative of the World Glaucoma Association, WGA and the World Glaucoma Patients Association, WGPA.

Bitto noted that many Nigerians are not aware that glaucoma is incurable and its effects on the eyes irreversible.

“According to the Nigerian National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey conducted in 2005 to 2007 the proportion of individuals with glaucoma in Nigeria is 50 per cent.

“If another survey is conducted, the figure may be more. No survey has been carried out since then to determine if various intervention methods have helped to reduce or control the disease.

“We do not even have enough optometrists and ophthalmologists in the country that can adequately cater for glaucoma patients in the cities not to talk of rural communities.

“We need to reach out to these people, increase awareness about the disease and encourage them to take themselves for regular checks at the hospital,” she said.

According to Bitto, studies show that black people are three to four times more at risk of developing glaucoma than Caucasians. 

She explained that people with high intraocular pressure, those over 40 years and individuals with thin cornea were also at high risk of developing glaucoma.