Deputy Permanent Secretary for Health Harps on Blindness and Cataract

FOROYAA Newspaper (Serrekunda)

Annia Gaye

13 July 2011

Mr. Abdou Karim Sonko, the Deputy Permanent Secretary at the Department of State for Health on Tuesday, 12 July 2011, at the Paradise Suites Hotel in Kololi, urged National Eye Health Program Coordinators to work together to ensuring that they initiate strategies aim at increasing cataract surgical rates in the West Africa sub-region.

Mr. Sonko made this remark at a sub-regional workshop jointly organized by the West Africa Health Organization and the Ministry of Health.

The workshop also aims at validating the best practices of cataract surgery and meeting on improving the inclusion of eye health drugs and the consumables in national list of essential drugs.

Permanent Secretary Sonko said blindness and low vision are major causes of morbidity, adding the two have profound effect on the lives of such patients.

He said the leading cause of blindness is cataract which is curable with a relatively simple operation.

He remarked, “Even if the person is blind as a result of cataract, he/she can still regain his/her sight through surgery”.

He added that the health sector can contribute greatly to improving the status of society. He challenged the Eye Health Programme Coordinators to make sure that appropriate tools are put in place for the health sector.

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