WORLD GLAUCOMA WEEK 2024 REPORT
World Glaucoma Week is a global initiative organized by the World Glaucoma Association. We invited patients, eye care providers, health officials and the public to join forces in organizing awareness activities worldwide.
Glaucoma is the leading cause of preventable blindness, and distinct challenges may be present in different regions of the world.
Our goal is to alert everyone to have regular eye and optic nerve checks to detect glaucoma as early as possible because there are available treatments for all forms of glaucoma to prevent visual loss.
This year’s theme “Uniting for a Glaucoma-Free World” focused on bringing communities worldwide together to fight against glaucoma blindness.
As GAF Eye Health Foundation we were able to commemorate the week by offering screening and health education to the community and rehabilitation to a person who became blind due to glaucoma. The activities took place at our head offices which are still under construction.
We encountered both achievements and challenges throughout the week.
Achievements
We successfully held glaucoma awareness activities that included education about glaucoma, eye screening activities and rehabilitation of the blind due to glaucoma.
| Activity done | Number of people |
|---|---|
| Education about glaucoma | 196 |
| Eye screening | 312 |
| Rehabilitation due to glaucoma | 1 |
Interventions done for patients
| Intervention | Number |
|---|---|
| Eye drops | 201 |
| Reading glasses | 63 |
| White cane | 1 |
Conditions diagnosed
| Disease | Number |
|---|---|
| Glaucoma suspects | 6 |
| Cataract | 12 |
| Inflammatory eye conditions | 235 |
| Presbyopia | 90 |
Challenges
- Lack of equipment to diagnose glaucoma, for example, iCare tonometer, visual field machine and ophthalmoscopes. Due to this challenge, we were able to identify only a few patients. Yet if we had better technologies we would have screened many more.
- Lack of eye models for eye health education in the community.
- Limited funds for follow up of patients who are glaucoma suspects and radio talk show.
- Cultural beliefs have really affected attendances of many people for such services in our community.
- Difficulties in transportation for both equipments available and volunteers in the community for activities.
- A good number of people came for the care like dental, orthopaedic etc which we couldn’t offer.
Recommendations
- We need to purchase equipment to increase the efficiency of diagnosing glaucoma.
- We need to acquire customised eye models for aiding in eye health education.
- Need for a purchase of a means of transport most likely a vehicle for easy transportation.
- Need to expand services to more than eye care to cater for those who come for other services like dental.
- Need for a continued eye health education to handle the issue of local beliefs.
Conclusion
I take this opportunity to appreciate our fans on our you tube channel, world council of optometry for the support towards our glaucoma week awareness activities. We still welcome more collaborations to dispel avoidable blindness in all undeserved communities.
Compiled by
WEKWANYA AMBROSE
CEO/FOUNDER
+256 787 999781
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