10 million blind in the Western Pacific

THERE are an estimated 90 million people who have low vision and 10 million who are blind in the Western Pacific Region that includes Fiji.

These were statistics presented by Health Minister Jone Usamate during the 7th Pacific Regional Eye Health Conference yesterday.

Eye care workers from around the Pacific gathered for the three-day annual Pacific Regional Eye Health Conference to discuss the different treatments towards the windows to the soul.

Mr Usamate said about 285 million people in the world lived with visual impairment — 90 million were blind and 246 million lived with moderate or severe visual impairment.

"The major eye health conditions and diseases in the Western Pacific include cataract, uncorrected refractive error, vitamin A deficiency, glaucoma and trachoma. Non-communicable disease such as diabetes and related eye diseases constitute a fast growing problem for the region," Mr Usamate explained.

While 90 per cent of blind people live in low income countries 80 per cent of all visual impairment is avoidable — which means, they are treatable or preventable.

The good news is that restoration of sight, and blindness prevention strategies are among the most cost effective interventions in health care.

Dr Harris Ansari from the Pacific Eye Institute said procedures were cost effective because people needed their sight and the economy needed them.

"The people's integration back into society is important," he said.
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