Eye centre warns against harmful traditional practices

The Chief Medical Director of the National Eye Centre , Kaduna, Dr. Mohammed B. Alhassan has warned against use of traditional harmful practices on the eyes.

He gave the advise during the commemoration of this year’s World Sight Day in Kaduna.

Alhassan said key strategies on eye health by stakeholders include: raising public awareness on blindness and vision impairment as major international public health issues; influence governments to participate in and designate funds for national blindness prevention programmes and to educate target audiences about blindness prevention and about vision 2020.

Also a drama presentation during the event kicked against harmful traditional practices including the use of onion, sugar, battery water, moringa juice and breast milk among others; stressing that they are harmful to the eyes and could lead to blindness.

The drama also urged Nigerians to report every eye illness to the hospital for prompt and adequate care.

The National Eye Centre also conducted 300 free cataract surgeries across the state with 75 at the Eye Centre, 150 in Kafanchan and another 75 at Saminaka in Ikara Local Government of the state as part of activities to mark the day.

Similarly, an optometrist with Gwamna Awan General Hospital in Kaduna , Dr. Emelike Prince- Henry in an interview said that over 285 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness.

He said, “80 percent of visual impairment is preventable and treatable. 65 percent of people who are visually impaired are aged 50 and above, this age group constitute only 20 percent of the world’s population.”

Therefore, increased population of the elderly in countries would mean that more people will be at risk of age-related visual impairment, he

said.