The Head of Department for Health, Dr Sibongile Zungu, will tomorrow unveil a partnership to prevent blindness and visual impairments at a function to be held at Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital in Phoenix tomorrow.
“Many people would think that the most important things that need to be in place for cataract surgery are a trained surgeon, equipment, consumables and support staff. However, what was once a straightforward perception of the requirements for cataract surgery becomes much more complex involving a wide range of individuals (e.g. the patient, the family, community members) and organisation – the department,” says the HoD, Dr Sibongile Zungu
In 2009 the country failed to attain a cataract surgery rate (CSR) of 1 800 per 1 million population but did 1 226 per 1 million population. The Memorandum of Understanding with Discovery stipulates that Discovery Health will contribute R2 000 for every cataract surgery performed in the province. The two major hospitals targeted for this partnership are Mahatma Gandhi Memorial and Vryheid Hospitals. The unveiling of the partnership coincides with the World Sight Day commemorated in October annually.
World Sight Day is an annual day of awareness to focus global attention on blindness, visual impairment and rehabilitation of the visually impaired held on the second Thursday in October. It is observed by all partners involved in preventing visual impairment or restoring sight. It is also the main advocacy event for the prevention of blindness and for "Vision 2020: The Right to Sight", a global effort to prevent blindness.
In spite of the progress made in surgical techniques in the last ten years, cataract (47.9%) remains the leading cause of visual impairment in poor countries. Other main causes of visual impairment are glaucoma (12.3%), age-related macular degeneration (AMD) (8.7%), corneal opacities (5.1%), diabetic retinopathy (4.8%), childhood blindness (3.9%) and onchocerciasis (0.8%). The causes of avoidable visual impairment are primarily, cataract (50%), glaucoma (15%), corneal opacities (10%), childhood blindness (5.3%) and onchocerciasis (4%).
The event will be to unveil a partnership between the Department of Health, Discovery Health and International Centre for Eye care Education (ICEE) that seeks to improve the provision of cataract services in the province with a view of increasing the cataract surgery rate to
Journalists are invited to the event to be held as follows;
Date: 13 October 2010 (Wednesday)
Time: 12h15
Venue: Mahatma Gandhi Memorial Hospital, Phoenix
Enquiries:
Chris Maxon, Corporate Communication, Kwazulu-Natal Department of Health
Cell: 083 447 2869
