Vision - 2020 program, an eye-opener for all:

Eye disorders will be eliminated by 2020

By Ananada KANNANGARA

First Lady Shiranthi Rajapaksa at Vision 2020 ceremony

Minister Maithripala Sirisena at the ceremony

Over 160,000 school children in Sri Lanka today have gone blind and another 450,000 suffering from various eye disorders. Consuming Genetically Modified foods (GM foods) without any control, extensively using computers and being addicted to watching television could be some of the main reasons for the poor vision of the child population.

Health Ministry Additional Secretary, Dr. Palitha Mahipala in an interview with Sunday Observer said the main objective of implementing the Vision-2020 program was to eliminate all forms of eye disorders from Sri Lanka by the year 2020.

Quoting Health Department statistics, Dr. Mahipala said over 160,000 school children have gone blind due to the carelessness of their eye-care and also not receiving proper medical treatment at the correct time.

Dr. Mahipala, therefore called upon everybody, especially the younger generation who have even minor eye ailments to have them tested without further delay to avoid total blindness.

It will also help the Government's endeavour of eliminating eye disorders completely from the country by the year 2020.

Below are excerpts of the interview:

Q: When did the Government start the Vision 2020 program?

A: Since numerous eye ailments were reported from school children earlier the Health Department was compelled to launch similar programs time to time, but the Vision 2020 program was initiated in 2007.

Q: What is the objective of initiating such a program?

A:This program is completely done with the assistance of the World Health Organisation (WHO).

As increasing number of eye disorders were reported from many parts of the country, Government wants to start this nature of program to help people, especially low income families who are not in a sound financial background to take treatments and also to buy spectacles.

Q: How many eye patients visit the Colombo Eye Hospital a day to have treatments?

A: Over 5,000 persons are receiving treatments at the Colombo Eye Hospital everyday. In addition, we perform about 4000 cataract operations a month. About 350 eye patients are coming to get laser treatments.

Q: Have you identified any eye ailments that cause blindness?

A: We have identified five major categories that cause blindness.They are Cataract, Diabetic retinopathy, Childhood blindness and Refractive error, Glaucoma and Low vision.

Dr. Palitha Mahipala

Q: What are the programs that you have started to eliminate blindness from the country?

A: We have started many programs and among them, the Urban comprehensive eye care project is very important.

This program will help a large number of poor population living in urban areas. This program will be funded by the Standard Chartered Bank for the next five years. The Vision 2020 program is also assisted by the College of Optheomologists and Eye Surgeons of Sri Lanka.

Q: Could you give more details about this program?

A: We conduct the program with the assistance of school health officers and the Vision 2020 Secretariat of the Ministry of Health. We have identified thousands of needy school children who are not aware that they have poor vision as they are not in a position to check due to poverty.

Accordingly this program will benefit needy children to have custom made spectacles free of charge.

Q: What is the latest program that you carried out for the benefit of school children?

A: Recently we distributed 500 custom-made spectacles for children in 21 schools free of charge.

Some children are shy and reluctant to wear spectacles and therefore we had to encourage them to wear spectacles.

Q: Do you import spectacles?

A: No, we manufacture them here. The Health Department owns a well equipped spectacle manufacturing factory in Colombo and we also hope to open new factories in Kandy and a few other main districts in the future.

Q: What is the cause for the blindness?

A: In addition to consuming genetically modified foods, using computers and television for a long duration without a break. Statistics have also revealed that malnutrition could also be the main reason for various eye defects in children.

Q: What are the suitable foods for children to get rid of eye ailments?

A: They should eat fresh vegetables, leaves and fresh fruits other than having junk foods.

Q: How much is the Government annually spending to fight eye diseases?

A: About Rs. one billion or more.

Q: Do you visit schools and treat children?

A: We visit schools all over the country and carry out eye camps to examine eyes of children and treat them free of charge. We also provide them with spectacles free of charge. We also started such programs at schools in the Northern and Eastern Districts where we could not conduct adequate programs during the past several years.

Q: What is your advice to the parents:

A: Parents must take timely action to cure eye diseases of their children to avoid blindness. They must be aware that even minor eye problems could lead to major problems.

They must encourage children to refrain from having much junk foods and also from watching television and using computer for long durations.

Q: What is your advice to the 4.3 million school children who will be the future leaders of the country?

A: They must be more careful over their visual problems as poor vision in children leads to poor education, social and behaviour abnormalities.

Parents must also identify such diseases during the early stages of their children and take precautionary measures to cure them.

Q: How many school children have so far been given spectacles free of charge through the Vision 2020?

A: We have distributed over 15,000 spectacles for children in the country. This will be doubled in the next few months because we have already started programs for the benefit of children in the Northern District.

In addition we have planned to visit all other areas in the country and carry out school programs.

Q: Do you get any assistance from private sector organisations to carry out the Vision- 2020 program?

A: The Standard Chartered Bank has already come forward to help us in this program for five years and we urge other donors also to make such contributions to make this program a success.

Q: Do you think a large number of school children are in the North to have benefits from the Vision 2020 program?

A: We will soon commence programs in Jaffna, Mulaitivu and Kilinochchi districts to cater thousands of school children who were unable to be recipients of this program during the past several years.