140 000 need eye treatment
Ministry of Health Principal Secretary Chris Kang’ombe has disclosed that over 140 000 people in Malawi are suffering from critical eye conditions and are in need of medical attention.
Kang’ombe said this at Mchinji Community Centre ground on Wednesday during the launch of Sustainable Vision Care Model (SVCM), a programme being implemented by the Ministry of Health in partnership with Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) and Essilor Group’s 2.5 New Vision Generation.
He said medical reports show that most people do not have a clear vision due to aging and various eye conditions, including cataract which may develop after eye injuries or inflammation.
Said Kang’ombe: “Government wants to help improve access to vision correction. We are piloting the programme here in Mchinji where people are very eager to be rescued from eye problems.”
Besides Mchinji, the programme will also be piloted in Kasungu, Salima and Dedza for a year before it is rolled out nationwide.
BHVI deputy chief executive officer Kovin Naidoo said the model will deliver free health and vision care to over 300 people at the launch while others will get the services at affordable costs.
“We seek to develop beneficial products and services for people in need of vision correction and detect signs of conditions that threaten vision and the eye. At present, over 620 million people across the world have serious eye conditions,” said Naidoo.
