By Philip Tengzu
Lawra (UW/R), March 09, GNA – The Blissful Sight for Kids (BS4Ks) programme is improving learning outcomes among school children with eyesight defects in the Lawra Municipality through early diagnosis and treatment of vision problems.
The free eye screening initiative has helped identify pupils with vision challenges and provided them with corrective glasses and medication, enabling them to participate actively in academic activities and improve their academic performance.
Mr David Y. Kuudegr, the Lawra Municipal School Health Education Programme (SHEP) Coordinator, disclosed this in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Lawra during a free eye screening outreach under the BS4Ks programme.
The BS4Ks initiative is being implemented by Bliss Eye Care in partnership with Ghana Vision, a Swiss-based charity organisation, to improve the academic performance of school children, particularly those with eye defects.
The outreach in Lawra, the second intervention in the area, screened a total of 606 children from Lawra and surrounding communities. Out of this number, 54 children were found to have normal eyesight.
A total of 531 children were diagnosed with various pathological eye conditions and given medication for free, while 16 children with refractive errors received eyeglasses. Five others were diagnosed with cataract and glaucoma.
Some children who required eye surgery have been scheduled for the procedure later in March 2026 at no cost to their parents.
Mr Kuudegr explained that his monitoring showed that many pupils who received eyeglasses during the first screening had recorded remarkable improvement in their academic performance.
He cited the case of a girl whose poor academic performance was traced to a vision problem during the screening. After she was given eyeglasses, her academic performance improved significantly.
He said the girl had since completed Senior High School and was aspiring to pursue engineering at the university level, a dream he believed might have been impossible without the BS4Ks intervention.
Mr Kuudegr also mentioned another case involving a young boy who struggled to read while in basic school due to an eye defect. After receiving eyeglasses through the programme, he was able to read several pages clearly without difficulty.
Dr Zakarea Al-Hassan Balure, Manager of Bliss Eye Care, expressed concern about the eye conditions detected during the screening exercise.
He noted that most of the cases came from interior communities, indicating gaps in access to eye care services in such areas.
He said the situation suggested that many more undetected vision problems might exist in remote communities.
The optometrist therefore called for intensified outreach programmes to bring eye care services closer to people in rural areas.
Dr Balure also emphasised the importance of regular eye screening to ensure early detection and treatment of eye conditions that could affect children’s education and overall well-being.
GNA
Edited by Caesar Abagali /Audrey Dekalu