Visual Impairments in Nigeria,Causes and Solutions.

Visual Impairments in Nigeria,Causes and Solutions.
By Femi Morgan
The eye is a delicate part of our body. It is considered the light of other body part as its relationship with the brain. It sends sensory impulses in form of images to the brain which the brain processes and makes decision. It is therefore one of the major human sensory organs.
However, the eye is prone to various impairments that can be detrimental to pleasant existence of humans. Although there are no definitions on Visual impairment, it can be explained as a point between having severe eye disabilities and total blindness. The World Health Organization criteria have been used in defining categories of visual impairment; blindness being the best corrected visual acuity in the better eye worse than 3/60, and low vision being the best corrected visual acuity in the better eye worse than 6/18 but better or equal 3/60. In effect an individual whose visual acuity is better than 6/18 in the better eye, of visual regarded as having an unimpaired visual status.
In a succinct e-chat with Sylvester Ovwighotu, Country Director of Eyes On Africa, An international non-governmental, non profit organisation that was founded to provide free eye glasses to indigent Africans and to spread the gospel of Christ, Ovwighotu said that eye impairments can be caused by Self Medication, particular inimical Lifestyles, infections and accidents. In tandem with Ovighotu’s claim, Nigerian Research have asserted that nutritional blindness caused by Vitamin A deficiency, measles are rampant in blindness in children. This was found in The Community Eye Health written by lecturers of the Department of Ophthalmology, College of Medicine, University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus, Nigeria. In addition, blood pressure, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, when sharp objects comes in contact with the eyes, undue exposure to sunlight and wearing coloured eye lenses as a fad is inimical to the health of one’s eyes. One cannot also shy away from Age and Hereditary cases that are veritable factors to eye impairments.
With intervention activities in different states in the country, including Edo, Delta, Ondo and Lagos States, some of Eye impairment diseases common amongst Nigerians are Pteridium, Glaucoma, Cataract, Filarial worms, Myopia, minor external irritations, says Ovwighotu who is also the President of Lifegate International Christian Commission. Filariasis is a parasitic infection that exceeds the lymphatic regions of the human body, it not only causes diseases like elephantiasis, it could also lead to blindness. endemic in tropical and sub-tropical regions of Asia, Africa, Central, South America and Pacific Island nations, with more than 120 million people infected and one billion people at risk for infection. Myopia is simply nearsightedness caused either by an increase in the eyes axial length or is attributed to the condition of the refractive elements of the eyes. Glaucoma is caused by ineffective draining of fluids in the eyes which results in pressure in the eyes to increase. Glaucoma is rated as one of the most common eye problems in Africa. Cataracts on the other hand is a clouding of the crystalline lens inside the eye. The crystalline lens (often called simply the lens) is located directly behind the pupil and iris. The lens helps with focusing light on the retina to begin the process of sight. A cataract decreases the clarity of the lens and causes blurred vision. Cataract is caused by exposure to long-term exposure to UV rays from sunlight, smoking, a long term use of steroids and diabetes. It can also be hereditary and age related factors.
In other to prevent eye impairments, it is important for one to check one’s lifestyle, to avoid harmful object from the eyes, to visit the hospital for proper diagnosing of diseases as other disease when not well treated may affect the Eyes. Balanced Diet is also important for improving the eyes, the veins in the eyes, the fluid in the eyes among other things needs Vitamin A amongst other dietary ingredients. Regular visits to the Ophthalmologist should also be an important feature of one’s activities says Ovwighotu so as to attend to eye tests and to checkmate impending defects. As for hereditary and Age related diseases the ophthalmologist are also in the best position to advise the use of Eye glasses or surgery. Unfortunately, rural areas and some states in Nigeria are faced with the challenge of lack of Opthamological clinics According to a 2009 research by Eze and Maduka-Okafor licensee,out of Enugu State's population of three million, Enugu Urban accounts for 22%. The population of Enugu Urban is distributed between the three-component Local Government Areas comprising Enugu North (31%), Enugu South (30%) and Enugu East (39%). There are 45 eye care facilities (public: 31 (69%); private: 14 (31%)) employing 252 eye care workers (public: 226 (90%); private: 26 (10%)) aged 18 to 63 (mean = 36.1 years, SD = 2 years) comprising males (36: 14%) and females (216: 86%), giving a male-to-female sex ratio of 1:6. The available eye care workforce is unevenly distributed between Enugu North (128: 51%), Enugu South (65: 26%) and Enugu East (59: 23%) Local Government Areas.The blindness prevalence of 3.4% in Kwara state is relatively on the high side when generally compared to data on blindness from past surveys in Nigeria which ranged from 0.9% in Osun state1 to 1.9% in Ikenne area of Ogun state3. In a research summary of Kwara State ‘A survey of blindness and ocular morbidity was carried out in Kwara state, Nigeria to gather baseline data for the recently launched state’s eye care programme. The prevalence of blindness is 3.4% and the major causes of blindness were glaucoma (40%), cataract (34.3%) and onchocerciasis (11%). All these causes are avoidable in that both glaucoma and onchocerciasis could be prevented with timely treatment from resulting into blindness, while sight restoring surgery could have cured blindness from cataract. With all the ophthalmologists and ophthalmic clinics being located in Ilorin, the state capital, core ophthalmic care for the hinterlands of the state will have to be delivered through mobile outreach teams visiting from Ilorin.