Blindness Worries Nigeria

By Henry Neondo

ABUJA---It is estimated by the International Trachoma Initiative (ITI) that 53 million people are living in trachoma-endemic areas of Nigeria.

“In The Northern geo-political zones of Nigeria fall within the WHO-classified ‘Trachoma Belt’ where trachoma contributes significantly to this avoidable blindness”, said Benjamin Nwobi, the National Coordinator, National Programme for the Prevention of Blindness of the Federal Ministry of Health.

He revealed that the Federal Ministry of Health plans to expand distribution to 22 districts in seven states in 2011 in collaboration with its in-country partners CBM (formerly Christoffel Blindenmission), The Carter Center, and Sightsavers.

Under the leadership of the National Program, ITI hopes to gradually help scale-up the Zithromax® donation to all trachoma-endemic states of Nigeria that are prepared to implement the full SAFE strategy.

Mass distribution of Zithromax® reached selected districts in five trachoma-endemic states in 2010: Nassarawa and Plateau in the central region, and Sokoto, Kebbi, and Zamfara in northern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, medical experts in Nigeria revealed that six million Nigerians suffer glaucoma, second leading cause of blindness.

A medical expert and President of the Glaucoma Society of Nigeria, Dr. Adeyinka Ashaye said medical reports showed that the disease also manifests in not less than 90 per cent of the sufferers in their early 30s.

She said the disease is particularly dangerous to one's sight as there are no noticeable symptoms at first.