Picture Of The March Pass In Banjul
By Ramatoulie Jawo
World Sight Day, a global event focused on raising awareness about vision impairment, blindness, and the significance of eye health, was commemorated on Thursday by The Gambia’s National Eye Health Program, under the Ministry of Health, in partnership with key stakeholders. The observance included a march pass held in Banjul under the theme, “Children, Love Your Eyes.”
Celebrated every second Thursday in October, World Sight Day this year aims to highlight the importance of eye care for young people, encouraging children around the world to prioritize their eye health.
The day serves as a reminder of the growing need for accessible eye care services, urging governments, organizations, and individuals to focus on preventing avoidable blindness and visual impairments.
In his address, Dr. Winston Ceesay, CEO and Senior Consultant Ophthalmologist at the Sheikh Zayed Regional Eye Care Center, underscored the importance of the day. He assured that the National Eye Health Program, with support from partners like OneSight, will work to provide affordable and quality spectacles to those in need.
“Eye health services should be accessible, available and affordable for all children. In this regard, the National Eye Health Program, through the Ministry of Health and with the support of OneSight, will ensure access to quality and affordable spectacles for everyone who needs them,” he said.
He also emphasized that many causes of childhood blindness, such as cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, and eye injuries, are preventable.
“Vision development in a child continues until several years after birth. The early days, months and years are crucial for forming connections between the eyes and the brain hence anything that obstructs a child’s vision during this period like refractive error or cataracts will affect this development causing visual impairment,”he said.
Dr. Mustapha Bittaye, Chief Medical Director at Edward Francis Small Teaching Hospital, stressed that preventing blindness is far more cost-effective than treating it. He called on the Ministry of Basic and Secondary Education to promote preschool eye screenings.
“We encourage preschool screening. We are also calling on the ministry of Basic and secondary education, we call everybody responsible for children, the ministry of gender to ensure that this is mandatory so that children are screened early in their schools or even before they enter school” he said.
He further encouraged early screenings to prevent future cases of blindness or preventable eye diseases.
Deputy Mayor of Banjul, Abdou Aziz Dabakh Gaye, representing Mayor Rohey Malick Lowe, reiterated the city’s commitment to supporting initiatives that prioritize children’s health and well-being.”Our city welcomes and encourages such meaningful partnerships, and we gladly host you here today with the promise of full cooperation in all endeavours aimed at protecting and promoting eye health in our communities,” he committed.
He mentioned that the march pass, speeches, and free eye screenings in schools are part of the collective effort to emphasize the importance of eye health in children, helping them see the world clearly and ensuring a brighter future.
Fatoumatta Dibba, Deputy Director of Health Services, spoke on behalf of the Minister of Health. She encouraged the public to ensure that children, especially Gambian children, have access to clear and healthy vision. She also highlighted The Gambia’s achievements in eye health, noting that the country was declared trachoma-free by the World Health Organization in 2021.
“After the Gambia eliminated trachoma as a public health problem. These achievements were registered through decades of efforts by the National eye health problem of the ministry of health and all our partners, especially the sight savers during that period,”she said.
She stressed that the day is dedicated to raising global awareness about the importance of eye care, particularly in young people, and to inspire children around the world to care for their eyes.
“Together we can create a group of young people motivated to prioritize their vision. This day observe by millions of people worldwide to spread awareness about eye health, and to appreciate the gift of vision which is a blessing in every sense of the world,” she said
She further explained that eye health is crucial, as it not only allows individuals to see but also helps maintain mental sharpness.
She highlighted that uncorrected vision problems in children can significantly affect their education, with research showing that access to glasses can improve academic performance by 44%.
In The Gambia, a National Eye Health Program was established following the first national survey on blindness and eye disease in 1989, with the goal of enhancing the quality of eye care and vision.