Free eye screenings offered across Barbados during World Glaucoma Week

The Ministry of Health and Wellness has launched a glaucoma awareness campaign during World Glaucoma Week, offering free screenings across Barbados.

The week, observed from March 8 to 14 under the theme “Uniting for a Glaucoma-Free World,” will feature a series of activities aimed at raising awareness about the disease, often referred to as a silent cause of blindness.

Speaking at a church service to launch the week of activities at the Collymore Rock Church of the Nazarene, Minister of State in the Ministry of Health and Wellness Davidson Ishmael stressed the importance of prevention and early detection.

“Recognising that a lot of persons focus exclusively on what we call tertiary treatment within the Queen Elizabeth Hospital environment, within the hospital setting, we, as a ministry, are strategically focusing and refocusing on advancing the message of primary health care,” he said.

“How do we prevent sickness as opposed to then treating sickness on the back end? We believe that if we invest our funds in the prevention of illness, it will help us in the long run so we have less persons who are advancing in diseases,” he added.

Ishmael said he hopes glaucoma screening efforts will mirror the success of the colorectal cancer screening pilot launched last year.

“That pilot has seen over 850 persons having been screened and tested, and we have seen about 68 positive tests as a result of that initiative,” he said.

“Those 68 tests then can be referred and have been referred to the hospital setting and other treatment facilities so that they can then go through the process of advancing in treatment and, of course, reducing the instances of death as a result of colorectal cancer.”

The minister also highlighted the growing impact of glaucoma on the Barbadian population.

“Thousands of Barbadians have glaucoma. Unfortunately, seven per cent of Barbadians, which is one in 14, aged 40 and over, have the most common form of glaucoma, primary open-angle glaucoma. Over the age of 50, that number increases to one in 11, and over the age of 70, it further increases to one in six persons.”

Ishmael stressed that tackling the disease requires collective action from government, health professionals and the public.

“The challenges to this, of course, and to us being involved in the provision of healthcare, are that we can only see our efforts really manifesting as we seek to keep diseases to a minimum when you assist us and join hands with us in helping us to reach this objective.”

He said the activities planned for the week are aimed at increasing awareness and encouraging Barbadians to check their eye health.

“This week we aim to increase glaucoma awareness and encourage persons to have regular eye checks to detect glaucoma earlier so that we can avoid the blinding consequences of this silent disease.”

Ishmael encouraged the public to take advantage of the free glaucoma screenings being offered across the island, as well as the educational programmes scheduled throughout the week. (LG)