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Eye specialists call for awareness campaigns
The Herald (Zimbabwe)
October 20, 2006

http://www1.herald.co.zw/inside.aspx?sectid=10413&cat=1&livedate=10/20/2006

EYE specialists have called for serious health education approaches and practical medical interventions to curb an increase in cases of preventable blindness in Zimbabwe.

Last week, Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in commemorating World Sight Day amid various challenges that stakeholders are grappling with in ophthalmology.

In an interview, ophthalmologist Dr Bornface Macheka of Eyes for Africa said concerted efforts are needed to help people suffering from eye ailments, particularly in remote areas, where many reside.

He said it was sad to note that 50 percent of the 120 000 people with various eye problems in the country suffer from cataract ailments and a significant number would go permanently blind owing to lack of knowledge.

"Cataracts is the commonest condition prevalent in the country. It can be cured by conducting a simple operation which requires the patient’s actual lenses to be replaced with intraocular lenses," Dr Macheka said.

He said another prevalent eye problem, which can be cured and prevented from turning blind, are refractive errors, which could be corrected by wearing spectacles.

"We are also worried about cases of glaucoma, which causes poor vision and that ailment is difficult to reverse while corneal opacity caused by trachoma and congenital opacity, meaning one is born with an opaque cornea, needs the intervention of donations of cornea."

Dr Macheka said corneal complications can be addressed by grafting of a donated cornea, which is now a major challenge in the country after America stopped donating cornea specimens to Zimbabwe in 2000.

"Conditions such as keratoconus in children can be effectively addressed by the grafting exercise but because Zimbabwe has no eye bank from where people could sign up that they would want their cornea removed to help those suffering with this ailment, many end up blind," Dr Macheka said.

He said recently eye specialists have noticed during their practice, an increase in the numbers of people suffering from diabetes and HIV related eye complications.

"Diabetes melitus causes diabetic retinopathy which could lead to blindness. We urge people to take a drastic change in the selection of food they eat. Processed foods high in sugar trigger diabetic conditions," Dr Macheka said.

He said CMV retinitis causes visual loss due to HIV and Aids while anti-tuberculosis drugs have side effects that could also damage the optic nerves and cause blindness.

Dr Macheka said in commemorating the World Sight Day, Eyes for Africa has proposed to set up eye camps in various districts and urban health centres for purposes of both awareness and cataract operations.

Several other eye specialists said Zimbabwe has a major task to address shortage and proper distribution of eye specialists concentrated in urban health institutions.

"The country has not more than 20 eye specialists and not many are based in remote areas where people with various eye ailments are found," said an eye specialist.

She added that ever increasing charges of other sundries that include intraocular lenses, which ranges between $40 000 and $60 000 and spectacles charges ranging from $50 000 were compromising eye health services, which has become beyond the reach of many.

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