With glaucoma accounting for some 39% of blindness cases in the country, Qatar is all set to mark the World Glaucoma Week from today until March 18 . The Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with the Hamad Medical Corporation and Primary Health Care Corporation will organise a number of events to raise awareness about the eye disease under the theme “Beat Invisible Glaucoma.”
“Glaucoma is considered as one of the main causes of blindness in Qatar. It is the leading cause of blindness in population over the age of 50. At least 13 per thousand people in the country have blindness and among these, 39% of cases of blindness are due to glaucoma,” said Dr Sheikha Al Anoud bint Mohammed Al Thani, Director of Health Promotion and Non-communicable Diseases at Ministry of Public Health (MoPH).
The World Glaucoma Week is a global initiative launched by the World Health Organisation in order to raise community awareness of the disease, its prevention and need for maintaining eye health. Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that cause progressive damage of the optic nerve at the point where it leaves the eye to carry visual information to the brain.
If left untreated, most types of glaucoma progress without warning, towards gradually worsening visual damage and may lead to blindness. Once incurred, visual damage is mostly irreversible, and this has led to glaucoma being described as the “silent blinding disease.”
“Early detection is the only way to detect the disease, which does not exhibit any symptoms in the initial stages. The disease can lead to permanent loss of eye-sight if not detected and treated early. Hence it is important to have periodic eye tests,” said Dr Badria Al Maliki, the National Coordinator of the Blindness Prevention Programme.
As part of the World Glaucoma Week, the ministry has organised free eye pressure check-ups and other eye examination, at Rawdat Al Khail (Mumtaza) Health Centre and Leabaib Health Centre, apart from distribution of brochure and booklets focusing on the eye disease. The Ministry will organise awareness programme for the staff of Qatar General Electricity and Water, Kahramaa, along with glaucoma screening for the staff. Lecture on prevention and early detection of the disease will also be conducted.
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye in which fluid pressure within the eye rises and pressure inside the eye rises. Unless this pressure is brought down and controlled, the optic nerve and other parts of the eye may become damaged, leading to loss of vision. Glaucoma is the second most common cause of blindness worldwide. It is estimated that 4.5 million persons globally are blind due to glaucoma and that this number will rise to 11.2 million by 2020.
