1.5m children in 11 states for free eye treatment

In order to reduce blindness among infants, a group of experts have commenced plans to provide medical treatment for 1.5 million children in 11 states across the country.

The states targeted are Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Nassarawa, Plateau, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina, Akwa Ibom, Cross River State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Programme Director of Seeing is Believing (SIB), a non-governmental organisation, Dr Juliana Nathaniel, said during an event to mark the 2017 World Sight Day on in Abuja that the intervention would be carried out on children between the ages of 1-14 years of age.

She said the event was part of activities to commemorate the day, adding that it was to educate stakeholders and create awareness among the general public in order to prevent blindness and visual impairment among infants.

She noted that 0.6 percent of children, who are blind in Nigeria had have been infected majorly by trachoma, measles, cataract, traditional practices introduced by parents and poor hygiene advised Nigerian children to ensure good and healthy hygiene in order to avert childhood blindness.

“We are targeting 11states which include Oyo, Ogun, Osun, Fct, Nassarawa, Plateau, Jigawa, Kano, Katsina and Akwa Ibom and Cross River state with over 1.5 million children to be treated, in Nigeria.

“There is an urgent need for the country to consider equitable access to service especially persons living with disabilities, the National Assembly should please render necessary assistance to the quick to the passage of the disability bill,” Nathaniel said.

The Representative, Federal Ministry of Health, Dr. Nicholas Olobu said the objective of the celebration was to prevent blindness among children especially in their early years of life as they represent the future.

Olobu traced the leading infection of blindness to glaucoma, stressing that the federal government has been striving to ensure the reduction of childhood blindness in the country.

He identified the need to adopt a safe strategy to address the situation.

“One of the main reason to ensure that people don’t get blind is called Safe Strategy which includes S – Surgery, A – Antibiotic, F- Facial Cleanliness, and E – Environmental Cleanliness, We tell children to always wash their face, keep good hygiene and go for yearly eye check-ups,” he added.