The Chief Executive Officer, Lotag Eye Clinic, Dr Oreva Asakpoku, has urged Nigerians to go for regular eye screening to eliminate avoidable blindness.
Asakpoku gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Benin.
NAN reports that the World Sight Day is marked globally every second Thursday of October to focus global attention to blindness and vision impairment.
It is also a day to create opportunity for those who are in need of eye screening and cannot afford it to examine their eyes for free.
“The theme for this year’s edition is: “Love your Eyes.”
Asakpoku said that regular eye check could easily discover common causes of blindness such as glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration.
“As you grow older, regular eye check is essential, as adults are prone to diseases that may cause blindness or other serious eye-related issues.
“Some of these diseases have no warning symptoms and their damage is irreversible. So, early detection is the key.
“Though it was announced on all forms of social media, radio, television, that eye examination would be free of charge in all clinics on that day, most people will still not utilise the opportunity.
“However, we aim to examine at least one million eyes to mark the 2021 World Sight Day,” she said.
The optometrist encouraged Nigerians to examine their eyes regularly in order to avoid diseases that could lead to sudden blindness.
