By Samira Larbie
Accra, Oct. 8, GNA – Dr Gladys Fordjour, Consultant Ophthalmologist and Cornea Surgeon, on Thursday called for the integration of eye health into universal health coverage and national development programmes to reduce avoidable vision loss in Ghana.
She said eye health was not a luxury but an essential component of public health, education, occupational safety, productivity and sustainable development.
Dr Fordjour made the call at the launch of the 2026 World Sight Day celebration, organised by the Maamobi General Hospital in Accra, on the theme: “Love Your Eyes at Work.”
She said protecting sight required collective efforts involving government, health institutions, schools, employers, communities, traditional and religious leaders, development partners and the private sector.
“Eye care is not a luxury,” she said, stressing the need to move beyond hospital-based services and extend preventive and essential eye care to communities, schools, workplaces, markets, churches and homes.
Dr Fordjour, who represented the Ophthalmological Society of Ghana, said good vision was fundamental to children’s learning and development, noting that uncorrected refractive errors could affect academic performance.
She called for stronger collaboration between the health and education sectors to ensure regular vision screening in schools, timely provision of spectacles and effective referral systems for children requiring further assessment and treatment.
“No child should be disadvantaged in school because of an uncorrected visual impairment,” she said.
Dr Fordjour highlighted the importance of good vision to workplace safety, productivity and livelihoods, urging employers to support regular eye screening, injury prevention and access to appropriate eye care.
She said Ghana must address barriers to eye care, including the cost of spectacles, medicines, surgery and follow-up treatment, particularly for vulnerable communities.
Dr Abdul Razak Quao, Medical Superintendent of the Maamobi General Hospital, said eye health interventions should also target Ghana’s large informal sector, where workers often lacked access to routine screening and workplace health programmes.
He cited market women, commercial drivers, welders, mechanics, carpenters, hairdressers and barbers as groups whose livelihoods depended heavily on good vision.
Dr Quao urged workers, particularly those exposed to eye injuries, to use appropriate personal protective equipment such as protective goggles, and cautioned the public against using unprescribed substances or inappropriate eye drops.
He also advised people who spent long hours on phones and computers to practise the 20-20-20 rule by looking at an object about 20 feet away for 20 seconds after every 20 minutes of screen use.
Dr Edem Lodoh, Municipal Director, Health Service, Ayawaso North, representing the Regional Health Director, said many visual impairments could be prevented or treated through early detection and timely intervention.
She called for intensified public education, regular eye screening and improved access to affordable eye care services, and reaffirmed the Directorate’s commitment to integrating eye health into public health interventions.
She commended Orbis Ghana, the Eye Care Secretariat, VisionSpring, the Ghana Optometric Association, the Ghana Ophthalmological Society, health facilities and other stakeholders for supporting the celebration and community eye screening activities.
She urged the public to prioritise eye health by undertaking regular eye examinations and seeking early treatment when necessary.
GNA
Edited by Agnes Boye-Doe