THE HEALTH | OCTOBER , 2022

BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN

Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah ( HSNZ ) in

Kuala Terengganu Dr Nor Anita said many people were unaware that comorbidities like diabetes , hypertension and high cholesterol could affect their visual acuity and vision directly or indirectly .

“ There is also a misconception that poor vision is part of ageing . Most believe that their vision will slowly deteriorate when they get old and therefore do not come forward for treatment . This is incorrect ,” said Dr Nor Anita who is also World Sight Day ( WSD ) 2022 Coordinator . Therefore , she said , the ‘ Love Your Eyes ’ themed WSD campaign encourages individuals to prioritise their eye health whilst advocating for accessible , affordable and available eye care worldwide .

According to her , cataracts are the primary cause of poor vision in older people . However , it is easily treatable with cataract surgery which only takes about 20 minutes , and patients can regain their vision .

“ So , if people don ’ t seek treatment for their poor vision and accept it as a natural

part of ageing , they will eventually go blind .

“ Similarly , for diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma , patients do not see the need to adhere to their medication and stop attending appointments just because the condition is painless .

“ Additionally , parents do not prioritise their children ’ s need for eyeglasses to correct their vision . Some people can ’ t afford eyeglasses . This is very sad because reduced vision will heavily impact children ’ s learning potential .”

Heightening public awareness

A key World Health Organisation ( WHO ) recommendation is to strengthen general awareness and engage and empower people and communities .

“ There are a few ways of doing it . First is sharing eye care health promotions and education through radio talks and mass media . Nowadays , I believe sharing info through social media platforms such as Twitter , Instagram , and Facebook is more effective .

She emphasised that for the awareness campaigns to be effective , they must be conducted frequently because people ’ s attention spans are short these days .

“ They also do not take time to read . Pamphlets may , therefore , not be very effective , whereas infographics will . That ’ s why we think E-posters with infographics regarding eye health would have more impact than pamphlets and talk shows .

“ However , to perform and sustain this awareness movement is quite challenging for us because of our busy schedule .”

She also believes that the higher authorities , particularly government agencies , need to be engaged to make eye awareness activities more effective by promoting the importance of eye care in achieving a better quality of life and contributing to a healthy and productive community .

“ We also need support to have more eye care facilities , especially for those underprivileged and remote areas . Collaboration with government agencies ,