Pretoria Eye Institute
11 October 2007
October 8 to 12 is "Eye Care Awareness Week". The Department of Health,
working together with various partners, will be using this period to raise
awareness about eye health and the prevention of eye disease and impairment
under the theme: 'Vision in Children'.
The Eye Care Awareness Week has become a major highlight in the health
calendar since 1997. In that year then Deputy President, Thabo Mbeki, declared
the cataract surgery project as one of his priority social projects.
The cataract surgery project has had a major impact on treatable blindness
in the country. Many older men and women have shed tears of joy after their
sight was restored. Some have spoken with excitement about being able to see
grandchildren who were born after they went blind or the pleasure of being able
to count their herd of cattle or goats again.
Ophthalmologists and optometrists work voluntarily to provide eye-care
services in many under-served areas in the country, and therefore we specially
thank the private sector for their support.
As part of its commitment to improving the quality of life of the people of
South Africa, the Department of Health has set a target of performing 1400
cataract operations per 1 million of the population this year.
During this year's Eye Care Awareness Week in particular, the target is to
exceed the number of operation conducted during last year's focus week. At
least 1,566 operations were performed in the public health sector, and 296 in
the private health sector during the 2006 Eye Care Awareness Week.
The Department of Health continues to forge partnerships to improve eye
health in the country. In celebrating this week, the Department is partnering
with the private health sector, the Bureau for the Prevention of Blindness and
many other Non-Governmental Organisations. The private health sector
participates in the celebrations either as donors or by holding surgeries for
poor communities free of charge.
The Eye Care Awareness Week coincides with World Sight Day today. South
Africa will join the rest of the world in observing this day as a partner in
Vision 2020, the Right to Sight. Vision 2020 is a global initiative aimed at
improving eye health. The South African Minister of Health launched the Africa
region component of this initiative in the year 2000.
Childhood blindness is a challenge that parents and government are
addressing together. There are three key components:
* preventive care
* early identification and screening. This is where our nurses play a major
role and we want to thank them for that.
* appropriate treatment. Paediatric Ophthalmology is a super specialisation;
therefore it is important that ophthalmologists in training in South Africa are
exposed to dealing with children.
It is critically important to treat eye disease and impairment in children
as early as possible.
Now to come closer to home, I am told that The Pretoria Eye Institute this
year has a special focus on school-health nurses who provide eye care services
to school children, specifically targeting grades R, one through to seven. The
aim is to refresh their skills, to enable them to identify ocular problems.
As a result of this initiative children with eye problems have been brought
to the Pretoria Eye Institute for a comprehensive eye examination and treatment
by ophthalmologists. We appreciate the Pretoria Eye Institute commitment
towards helping communities who cannot afford private specialised eye-care.
The school-health nurses have a multi-faceted role within the school
setting, a role that supports the physical, mental, social and emotional
well-being of children and the youth, ensuring their success in the learning
process.
Health is a corner stone of any successful business and the private sector
can be an integral component in improving health through projects like
this.
The Department of Health expresses its appreciation to all partners and
role-players for their contribution to restoring the sight of many children and
adults. A special thanks to the Vodacom Foundation for their generous and
ongoing support.
I thank you.
Issued by: Department of Education
11 October 2007
