A Professor of Ophthalmology, Prof. Bola Adekoya, says one in four patients seen at the Eye Institute of the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), has glaucoma.
Adekoya, a glaucoma specialist and head, Ophthalmology Department, LASUTH, disclosed this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria in Lagos to commemorate World Glaucoma Week.
The week is celebrated globally from 10 to 16 March with the 2024 theme: “Uniting for a Glaucoma-Free World,” aiming at bringing communities worldwide to fight glaucoma.
Glaucoma is caused when pressure builds up inside the eye, damaging the optic nerve that connects the eye to the brain. It can cause irreversible blindness if it is not timely treated.
Adekoya noted, “Glaucoma is the second leading cause of blindness in Nigeria with a prevalence of 16.7 per cent, second to cataract.
“The high prevalence of glaucoma is a public health concern that calls for an increased awareness of early screening, detection, and management.”
The specialist emphasised that people of African descent were susceptible to glaucoma, noting that the disease was common among those above 40 years of age.
“A lot of patients are not aware they have glaucoma till their eyes are screened because glaucoma is symptomless in the initial stage and people only experience poor vision when the disease has already affected the vision significantly.
“We can’t cure glaucoma but can prevent blindness from the disease through early detection and appropriate treatment,” she said.
On treatment for glaucoma, Adekoya highlighted medical, laser, and surgical treatment options aimed at lowering intra-ocular pressure and preventing further loss of vision.
She said that surgery was recommended as the primary treatment for glaucoma due to the challenges of affordability, availability, and compliance with continuous medical treatment.
The specialist, noted that despite the recommendation, the uptake of glaucoma surgery remained low in Nigeria.
She advised patients to embrace regular eye screening and comply with the use of their eye drops, emphasising that noncompliance could lead to the progression of the disease and vision loss.
Adekoya recommended the prescription of locally produced generic eye drops, stressing their effectiveness in reducing intra-ocular pressure and serving to address the high cost of eye drops.
She appealed to the Federal Government to subsidise the cost of medicines, especially eye drops, to reduce the financial burden on patients.
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