Nkechinyere Oginyi
Mary-Maudline Nwifuru wife of Ebonyi State Governor, has flagged off an Ultra-modern Eye Centre in David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, DUFUHS, Uburu Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.
The Centre according to the vice chancellor operates with a multi-disciplinary team or experts Specializing in conducting research and training on eye related issues, and caring for people with eye disease.
She explained that Better Health For Rural Women Children and Internally displaced persons, (BERWO), her pet project collaborated with the University to begin the life-changing initiative that will address eye challenges facing the society.
“Going forward, BERWO will utilize the centre in tackling eye challenges faced by individuals in rural communities by providing free screening, prescription glasses, medication, and even surgical interventions where necessary. Through this collaboration, we intend to reach out to those in need of eye care especially the indigents. This centre serves as our commitment to quality health care and treatment for the people.
“My sincere appreciation goes to the Vice Chancellor of David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences, Professor Jesse Uneke for establishing this ultra-modern health centre with state-of-the-art technology in the treatment of patients and eye research.
“The center’s launch coincides with a free eye cleaning treatment program, which is part of my pet project, BERWO’s program for the year. This initiative aims to reach out to those in need and demonstrate the government’s commitment to quality healthcare”, she said.
Nwifuru commended her husband, Governor Francis Nwifuru for attracting investments and quality services in the health sector.
While describing quality health care services as bedrock of a sound society. Nwifuru expressed the hope that the Ultra-modern eye Centre would serve the purpose it was established to ensure quality healthcare in the state and the country in general.
Jesse Uneke, Vice Chancellor of the University, said the eye center is a state-of-the-arts Centre of Excellence eye research, Training and Patient Care.
The vice chancellor said Eye conditions are remarkably common and that those who live long enough will experience at least one eye condition during their lifetime.
Uneke noted that visual challenge leads to lower levels of educational achievement among some children in the society and such needs to be tackled on time. Adding most eye problems wouldn’t have lead to total blindness if treated on time.
“According to the World Health Organization, globally, at least 1 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.
“In the absence of timely detection, reduced or absent eyesight can have long-term personal and economic effects. Vision impairment affects people of all ages, with the majority being over the age of 50.
” Young children with early onset severe vision impairment can experience lower levels of educational achievement, and in adults it often affects quality of life through lower productivity, decreased workforce participation and high rates of depression.
“Vision impairment and blindness impact the life of people everywhere. In low- and middle-income countries including Nigeria, the burden of vision impairment can be even greater due to fewer opportunities to access the most essential eye care services.
“Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors are estimated to be the leading causes of vision impairment; however, other causes for vision impairment cannot be ignored.
“Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, long standing systemic conditions like diabetes causing diabetic retinopathy, infectious diseases of the eye and trauma to the eye are all equally important causes for vision impairment that need to be addressed.
In Nigeria, an estimated 24 million people have sight loss. The Nigeria national blindness and visual impairment survey estimates that 4.2% of people over 40 years old are blind.
“It was also estimated that 4.25 million adults aged 40 years and above have moderate to severe visual impairment or blindness. According to the report, blindness was associated with increasing age, being female, and poor literacy.
“It was noted in the report that 84% of blindness was due to avoidable causes. Many people in Nigeria are unable to access basic eye care, leaving them at an increased risk of visual impairment and disability”, he stated
The Vice Chancellor explained that the Eye Centre would integrate scientific theory and practice in the management of people with eye diseases and undertake cutting-edge research into eye diseases with latest technologies and advance evidence-based practice.
“The Centre will undertake regular blindness and visual impairment surveillance at state, regional and national levels to generate scientific information on eye diseases which will inform policy and practice and lead to improvement on the understanding of how to address eye related diseases in Nigeria.
“The DUFUHS Eye Centre will function as a Centre for the use of advanced technology for the diagnosis of eye related diseases. The Centre will employ the latest experimental and methodological diagnostic techniques, including, Color Vision Test (Farnworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test (FM-100): Computerized Optic Disc Imaging and Nerve Fiber Layer Analysis (GDX, HRT, OCT): Corneal Topography; Electro-Diagnostic Testing; Fluorescein Angiography; Ocular Coherence Tomography (0Cm: Photography of the Eye (including retinal photography and fundus photography); Specular MicroscopV: Visual Field Tests (Goldmann, Humphrey, FDT, Octopus); Ultrasound of the Eye (Biometry/IOL calculation, A-Scan, Bsan); and machine learning and artificial intelligence in diagnostics”,.