Doha: The Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) is participating in the celebration of World Sight Day, which falls on Thursday, 9 October, in collaboration with Hamad Medical Corporation and the Primary Health Care Corporation. World Sight Day is a global initiative launched by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), aiming to highlight the importance of preventing eye diseases and promoting early detection and diagnosis of conditions that may lead to visual impairment or loss.
According to Qatar News Agency, to mark this occasion, MOPH has launched an awareness campaign to promote understanding of the importance of preserving vision, preventing related diseases, and addressing chronic conditions that can cause sight problems, while also emphasising the need for regular eye examinations. Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programs Department at MOPH, Sheikh Dr Mohamed bin Hamad Al-Thani stated, “Over the past years, the Ministry, in collaboration with its partners, has made remarkable progress in developing eye health services in the State of Qatar. This advancement has led to a threefold reduction in the prevalence of blindness compared with previous levels, according to the findings of the most recent research study conducted in 2023.”
The Director of the Non-Communicable Diseases Prevention Programs Department praised the role of Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC), the Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC), and other partners from the healthcare sector for their continued efforts to ensure the provision of the best health services to preserve vision. He also stressed the importance of developing health awareness programmes targeting all segments of society to raise awareness about eye health and vision safety by shedding light on common eye diseases and the importance of preventing and treating them.
The importance of blindness prevention and health education programmes lies in their contribution to promoting early diagnosis of diseases that may cause blindness and require treatment. Hence, the necessity of regular eye check-ups and maintaining routine visits to eye clinics for necessary examinations, which enable early detection of eye conditions, particularly silent ones that do not present symptoms at the onset.
Building on these efforts, MOPH, in collaboration with its partners, is intensifying its work to strengthen early screening programmes for eye diseases such as diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma. The Ministry is also providing advanced equipment to examine the layers of the retina and optic nerve, reinforcing the principle of prevention before treatment.