By Chioma Umeha
•1.8m Nigerians Suffering From Disease
Chioma Umeha
No fewer than 1.8 million Nigerians of over 40
year’s age suffer from glaucoma with almost 360,000 of them blind in both eyes.
Glaucoma is a disease of the eye in which fluid
pressure within the eye rises – if left untreated the patient may lose vision
and even become blind.
The Associate Professor of Ophthalmology, Head
Glaucoma Services and Acting Head of Department of Ophthalmology, College of
Medicine/Lagos University Teaching Hospital (CMUL/LUTH), Idi-Araba, Dr. Adeola
Onakoya, said Monday at an event to mark the World Glaucoma Week, that glaucoma
is the second leading cause of blindness worldwide and in Nigeria with a
prevalence of 16.7 per cent, second only to cataract.
Onakoya said glaucoma is the commonest cause of
irreversible blindness worldwide and in Nigeria.
The ophthalmologist said glaucoma is a public
health problem and currently 70 million people suffer from glaucoma worldwide,
with 10 million blind.
She said it is anticipated that by 2020, sufferers
would increase to 80 million and blindness from the disease would increase as
well.
The eye specialist said blindness from glaucoma is
10 times higher in the developing world and the clinical course of the disease
in blacks follows an aggressive course. She said there is increased prevalence
amongst Africans, which increases with age in 0.5 to nine per cent of
population over 40 years and increases to 15 per cent in population over 65 years.
“With ageing, the population of sufferers will increase,” Onakoya said.
The ophthalmologist said only 50 per cent of the
disease is diagnosed in developed countries and 85 per cent are undiagnosed in
developing countries. She said patients in the developing countries usually
present at an advance stage of the disease when there is irreversible visual
loss.
Onakoya expressed regrets that awareness is very
low, with only five per cent of Nigerian glaucoma population being aware.
She, however, said early detection and appropriate
treatment of the disease seem to be the answer to the late presentation of
sufferers and reduction of blindness from the disease. “Education on the
natural history of the disease will also improve the compliance and adherence
to treatment in the diagnosed patients,” Onakoya said.
The ophthalmologist said creation of awareness on
the disease process and enlightenment programmes, backed up with case detection
(through screening) would go a long way in reducing blindness.
