Cameroon joined the international community to commemorate the World Sight Day today the 13th of October 2016 under the theme, “Stronger Together”. The Minister of Public Health, Andre Mama Fouda chaired commemorative activities at the Yaounde Central Hospital.

During the ceremony, the Minister called on NGO’s and other institutions dealing with the blind to continue partnering with Government. The Public Health boss indicated that the Cameroon Government is bent on reaching out with good eye care services to the population. This he noted could be seen through the successful of operation of 17.000 cases of cataract year in the country, which was the reverse ten years ago.

A highlight of the event was the award of end-of-course certificates to health personnel who have received training on primary eye care as a solution to preventing blindness. Statistics in Cameroon indicates that 1% of the population is blind and 3% suffer from sight-related problems.

Instituted in 2002, the World Sight Day is a day which focuses global attention on blindness and vision impairment. According to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), approximately 285 million people worldwide live with low vision and blindness, 90% of blind people live in low-income countries meanwhile 80% of visual impairment is avoidable (treatable and/or preventable).

CRTV