The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA), Lagos State chapter, on Thursday, urged
Nigerians to go for regular eye check to eliminate avoidable blindness.
The Public Relations Officer of the association, Dr Emmanuel Okoye, made the call in a statement issued in Lagos.
He stated that National Orientation Agency (NOA) was raising public awareness on eyecare in the present COVID-19
pandemic to commemorate the 2020 World Sight Day.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that World Sight Day is marked every second Thursday of October to focus global attention to
blindness and vision impairment.
The theme for this year’s edition is: “Hope In Sight.”
He added that “as we join the rest of the world to celebrate the World Sight Day, optometrists in Nigeria are focusing
on public awareness on eyecare in COVID-19 pandemic as a major public health issue.
“More than 75 per cent of visual problems are avoidable, while two billion people globally are either blind or visually impaired;
out of these people, more than 50 per cent of them need glasses to see.
“Let’s join hands to eliminate avoidable blindness by checking our eyes regularly.
“COVID-19 is real and can be contacted through the eyes; therefore; people should avoid touching their eyes and follow
health guidelines by the Ministry of Health and the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC).
“The pandemic should not stop people from seeking eye care.”
Okoye also advised Nigerians to seek help from experts, rather than patronising quacks that could worsen their situation.
“Do not patronise quacks for your eye care, see your optometrist or ophthalmologist because they are the people that
can provide care for the eye,” he added. (NAN)
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