Sunday, February 19, 2012
Saturday, October 15, 2011
Vodafone restores sight for 2,500 people
Accra, 13th October 2011: Vodafone Ghana today announced that it is working in collaboration with Sightsavers and the Ghana Health Service to restore the sight of 2,500 visually impaired people suffering from cataract and trachoma across Ghana. This is as part of its contribution to World Sight Day; a day set aside by the United Nations (UN) to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment.
Vodafone Ghana funded this initiative which is being organised by Sightsavers as part of the World Sight Day celebrations. The project is being led by qualified healthcare professionals from the Ghana Health Service, who have set up over 80 screening centres across the country, offering free screening and surgeries on patients suffering from cataract and trachoma; two major causes of blindness in Ghana. Vodafone Ghana’s association with this lifesaving initiative reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of Ghanaians especially economically disadvantaged people who have little or no access to quality healthcare. The funding provided by Vodafone enabled Sightsavers and the Ghana Health Service to extend screening and treatment across all the regions till the end of November 2011.
According to Carmen Bruce Annan, Head of Corporate Communications at Vodafone,Vodafone is delighted to be partnering with Sightsavers and the Ghana Health Service to give the ‘gift of sight’to 2,500 visually impaired Ghanaians. ‘’We are passionate about the health of the people in our communities, especially the less privileged sections of the society. Eyesight is something that can easily be taken for granted, yet we know that cataract is the leading cause of blindness in our country. We consider it an honour to be in the position to make a real and lasting impact in these patients’ lives’’, she said.
‘’We believe every Ghanaian deserves good health and we are committed to making the right partnerships to fulfill our promise of empowering Ghanaians to take control of their health and lead more fulfilled lives ’’ she added.
On her part, the Country Director of Sightsavers Ghana Joyce Ashun said ‘’as we celebrate this year’s World Sight Day under the theme: Reducing Blindness, ‘The Importance of Eye Care in National Development’, Sightsaverswants to reinforce our belief that no one go blind from avoidable blindness. This, however, requires a collective responsibility and this is why we are excited to be working with Vodafone this year to celebrate World Sight Day and to help restore sight for many people across the country. We are also in partnership with the Ghana Health Service which will spearhead the celebrations and ensure that sight-restoring surgeries are performed during the period of the celebrations’’.
The World Health Organisation information on blindness indicates that cataract is the leading cause of blindness globally, accounting for between 40 to 50 per cent of all blindness. Cataract is very common with people above 50 years.
In Ghana, the major causes of blindness are cataract refractive errors which account for 50 per cent of sight impairment and trachoma with15 per cent, Glaucoma 15 per cent, corneal scars five per cent and other causes 15 per cent.
The screening and treatment sessions will run till end of November under the supervision of Sightsavers. Screening and treatment sessions start on Monday 10th October 2011 however, a number of the centres have already started screening and treating patients.
For further information, please contact the Vodafone Ghana press information line on:
020 340 1313. You can also connect with Vodafone Ghana at: www.facebook.com/vodafoneghana
About Vodafone Ghana
Vodafone Ghana is an operating company of Vodafone Group Plc., the world's leading mobile telecommunications company, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States.
Vodafone Ghana is a total communications solutions provider - mobile, fixed lines, internet, voice and data - and is currently unmatched in providing fixed line and internet services - the leader and the first choice for Ghanaians.
For more information please visit http://www.vodafone.com.gh
Vodafone Ghana funded this initiative which is being organised by Sightsavers as part of the World Sight Day celebrations. The project is being led by qualified healthcare professionals from the Ghana Health Service, who have set up over 80 screening centres across the country, offering free screening and surgeries on patients suffering from cataract and trachoma; two major causes of blindness in Ghana. Vodafone Ghana’s association with this lifesaving initiative reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of Ghanaians especially economically disadvantaged people who have little or no access to quality healthcare. The funding provided by Vodafone enabled Sightsavers and the Ghana Health Service to extend screening and treatment across all the regions till the end of November 2011.
According to Carmen Bruce Annan, Head of Corporate Communications at Vodafone,Vodafone is delighted to be partnering with Sightsavers and the Ghana Health Service to give the ‘gift of sight’to 2,500 visually impaired Ghanaians. ‘’We are passionate about the health of the people in our communities, especially the less privileged sections of the society. Eyesight is something that can easily be taken for granted, yet we know that cataract is the leading cause of blindness in our country. We consider it an honour to be in the position to make a real and lasting impact in these patients’ lives’’, she said.
‘’We believe every Ghanaian deserves good health and we are committed to making the right partnerships to fulfill our promise of empowering Ghanaians to take control of their health and lead more fulfilled lives ’’ she added.
On her part, the Country Director of Sightsavers Ghana Joyce Ashun said ‘’as we celebrate this year’s World Sight Day under the theme: Reducing Blindness, ‘The Importance of Eye Care in National Development’, Sightsaverswants to reinforce our belief that no one go blind from avoidable blindness. This, however, requires a collective responsibility and this is why we are excited to be working with Vodafone this year to celebrate World Sight Day and to help restore sight for many people across the country. We are also in partnership with the Ghana Health Service which will spearhead the celebrations and ensure that sight-restoring surgeries are performed during the period of the celebrations’’.
The World Health Organisation information on blindness indicates that cataract is the leading cause of blindness globally, accounting for between 40 to 50 per cent of all blindness. Cataract is very common with people above 50 years.
In Ghana, the major causes of blindness are cataract refractive errors which account for 50 per cent of sight impairment and trachoma with15 per cent, Glaucoma 15 per cent, corneal scars five per cent and other causes 15 per cent.
The screening and treatment sessions will run till end of November under the supervision of Sightsavers. Screening and treatment sessions start on Monday 10th October 2011 however, a number of the centres have already started screening and treating patients.
For further information, please contact the Vodafone Ghana press information line on:
020 340 1313. You can also connect with Vodafone Ghana at: www.facebook.com/vodafoneghana
About Vodafone Ghana
Vodafone Ghana is an operating company of Vodafone Group Plc., the world's leading mobile telecommunications company, with a significant presence in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and the United States.
Vodafone Ghana is a total communications solutions provider - mobile, fixed lines, internet, voice and data - and is currently unmatched in providing fixed line and internet services - the leader and the first choice for Ghanaians.
For more information please visit http://www.vodafone.com.gh
World Sight Day: A See Change
Stephan B. Tanda
Your capacity to see this evening's sunset, appreciate a smile on the face of your children, partner or friends, even read this blog is something that, like me, I am sure you often take for granted. Today there are 286 million people on our planet that don't enjoy this ability, 19 million of them children, all of whom suffer from a debilitating form of visual impairment. Sadly, and unacceptably, 80 percent of these cases are due to causes which could have been prevented, treated or cured. Not surprisingly, 90 percent of these people live in the developing world. As such, this is not an issue you hear talked about much in the general media or by public policy types. Therefore, you are probably unaware that October 13 is World Sight Day.There are many international days that pass with little recognition from the general public; little conversation about them in the blogging world and no coverage or awareness by the media. I can't let this day pass without trying to change that. Every 5 seconds someone in the world goes needlessly blind. For hundreds of thousands of children per year, a life completely in the dark is a daily reality.
Thanks to the work of such pioneers as Helen Keller and her teacher Anne Sullivan, those that live in rich countries have access to services that can teach the blind to live relatively normal and productive lives despite their disability. Those in the developing world, however, are not so lucky.
Given the tremendous personal, economic and societal loss that occurs as a consequence of preventable blindness and the mitigating actions that can be taken at a relatively low cost, it is unacceptable that more is not being done. I ask your help in changing that and work toward raising awareness about the issue, starting today.
Avoidable human costs
While there are many causes of blindness, one of the most common is from Vitamin A deficiency, which leaves 350,000 children blind annually and is the leading cause of preventable childhood blindness. Globally 23 percent of children suffer from Vitamin A deficiency. In addition to the risk of impaired vision and blindness, Vitamin A deficiency also leaves children and adults less able to fight infectious diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), over 670,000 children under the age of five die annually due to Vitamin A and zinc deficiencies. Interventions, such as food fortification and supplementation, cost only pennies a week. Everyone has the 'Right to Sight' and these children should not be denied that right simply because they are poor and do not have access to proper nutrition and health care.
The issue is not simply humanitarian, it is economic as well. Addressing the issue is relatively easy and was named the most cost effective intervention designed to address the world's most pressing issues according to the Copenhagen Consensus in 2008. A mere $60 million investment can reap an enormous $1 billion in increased productivity and lower healthcare costs. For countries, communities and families that are struggling to emerge from the cycle of poverty; this is a great start on the road to a better life.
Sight and life
Those that have been working to tackle Vitamin A deficiency were encouraged when the U.N. committed itself to eliminating Vitamin A deficiency by 2010 during a United Nations special session on children held in 2002. While progress has been made, and many organizations and individuals should be recognized for their great efforts, this goal has yet to be reached and still 800,000 women and children will die from Vitamin A deficiency related causes this year.
While there is much work to be done, there is a cadre of dedicated NGOs that have committed themselves to this struggle such as: Helen Keller International, Vitamin Angels and Sight and Life as well as many governments and UN agencies such as the WHO, UNICEF and the World Food Programme (all organizations I am proud to say our company is working with and has supported).
A new approach
This year two of these organizations, Vitamin Angels and Sight and Life, signed an agreement to develop an innovative new model to fight Vitamin A deficiency. They created a program that is targeted towards India, which accounts for over a third of all cases of severe Vitamin A deficiency in the world. The goal is to develop and foster local ownership and create a local, sustainable supply and distribution system for Vitamin A.
The organizations will work with local NGOs to provide much needed services to people who live in areas that are hard to reach by regular government health services. To ensure success they will also rely on the support of the Indian government, the great philanthropic heritage of India, and the robust and local pharmaceutical industry, among other private sector partners.
Change you can see
The world is faced with many problems and issues. Clearly priorities have to be made. It is often difficult to appreciate the problems of those thousands of miles away when you can see so clearly the problems that need to be addressed right in your own neighborhood.
Yet we live an ever more connected world. Our success is linked to the success of others, even those that live on the other side of the world. Through combating Vitamin A and zinc deficiencies we can make a real difference not only to the lives of those who suffer from the consequences of these deficiencies, but also to the lives of their family members and their communities and eventually all of us.
So I encourage you to find out more about vitamin deficiencies, learn what you can do to help and please encourage your representatives to support international efforts to solve a problem that has devastating consequences, yet is easy to address. Let's have this year's World Sight Day be the first step to realizing a world where not a single child goes blind due to easily preventable Vitamin A deficiency. That would be a true 'See Change'.
‘World Sight Day’ across districts
‘World Sight Day’ was observed at Little Angel School, Wokha under the theme “Eye care for all” where Rovilatuo Mor, deputy commissioner NCS and chairman DHS Wokha was the chief guest.
Speaking on the theme, Dr. Enrithung, district nodal officer NPCB Wokha said the main cause of blindness was due to lack of knowledge and negligence in times of injuries.
Addressing the gathering, the chief guest said awareness on eyes should be imparted to all and that at present day context, parents, students and teachers should be aware and limit their usage to the requirements for knowledge, education, and entertainment through countless electronic gadgets like TV, computers and others.
He also urged participants to contribute their efforts in creating awareness on the importance of eyesight and preventive ways to control blindness.
The programme was attended by delegates from UNICEF, Delhi, Dr. Sharma and Anupam.
Earlier Dr. N.M Kithan chief medical officer chaired the programme and vote of thanks was delivered by Dr. Kevingulie Khro medical superintendent, District Hospital Wokha.
LONGLENG: Longleng district NPCB observed World Sight Day under the theme, ‘Eye care for all’ on October13 at IDSP hall Longleng where deputy commissioner and chairman District Health Society (DHS) Longleng, K. Libanthung Lotha was the chief guest. Speaking at the occasion, the chief guest urged all to take care of their eyes.
The programme was chaired by Dr. Kongyan deputy CMO Longleng and invocation delivered by H. Beau pastor Longleng Town Baptist Church followed by welcome address by Dr. Imtiwapang DIO and key note address by Dr. M. A. Wati CMO Longleng.
KOHIMA: World Sight Day was observed at St. John’s School, Kohima on October 13 under the leadership of Dr. E. Phyantsuthung, district nodal officer NPCB and senior eye specialist from Naga Hospital authority Kohima.
Altogether 150 students were tested and around 30 students were found having some eye problems who were then referred to Naga Hospital Authority Kohima for further treatment.
Meanwhile, the administrator of the school has expressed gratitude to the authority for enabling the school and the students to observe the day and also promoting the importance of eye sight.
Syria Marks World Sight Day, Efforts to Provide Treatment, Diagnosis Services for Patients
DAMASCUS, (SANA) - Syria marked the World Sight Day, usually held on the second Thursday in October with the aim of raising public awareness of blindness and vision impairment as major international public health issues.
Touring Eye Specialist Hospital in Damascus, Minister of Health Wael al-Halqi said the Ministry works hard to provide all treatment and diagnosis services for all patients with eye problems through two specialized hospitals in Aleppo and Damascus and special departments at the national hospitals.
The Minister added that the main challenge for the ministry is the cases that require corneal transplantation, more than 7000 cases, throughout the Syrian provinces, stressing the importance of the governmental and civil efforts to spread the culture of organ donation and its role in giving new hope for large numbers of people.
Minister al-Halqi indicated to the agreement signed between the Ministry of Health and al-Bustan Charity to import corneas from other countries within the next few months.
Resident Representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) in Syria Ibrahim Beit Al-Mal said that celebrating the World Sight Day is organized by the WHO and Vision 2020, the international initiative for Right to Sight which launched in 2000 to eliminate avoidable blindness.
According to the WHO statistics, 285 million people are visually impaired worldwide: 37 million are blind and 246 have low vision. Uncorrected refractive errors, cataracts, trachoma, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are the five main causes of blindness in the East Mediterranean region. 90% of all visual impairment cases can be avoided or cured if diagnosed earlier.
R. Raslan / Ghossoun
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