Glaucoma, the preventable eye disease, is the second largest cause of blindness in the country, accounting for 3 percent of the people aged over 40 years, said experts yesterday.
They were speaking at the inaugural ceremony of the 1st Annual National Conference of Bangladesh Glaucoma Society (BGS) at a city hotel.
The experts also said glaucoma is a complex disease and caused due to the death of optic nerve cells. It gradually weakens eyesight and cannot be cured, they added.
But awareness and early diagnosis can prevent blindness from glaucoma, they said adding that approximately 586,000 people aged 40 and above are suffering from glaucoma in the country.
While delivering his speech Prof Sharfuddin Ahmed, secretary general of Bangladesh Medical Association, said glaucoma should be addressed nationally and there should be a glaucoma management protocol.
“Massive glaucoma screening programmes across the country is very urgent,” said Prof Ava Hossain, president of Ophthalmological Society of Bangladesh.
Though most of the people of this country are poor and living in rural areas, 90 percent of the modern ophthalmological treatment is limited in towns. It forces a significant number of people to remain out of the network of modern treatment, the experts said.
They urged the government to give more emphasis on glaucoma treatment and awareness building in the National Eye Care Plan that has been addressing the cataract patients since 2005.
At the same time, Vision 2020 should also address glaucoma while modern diagnosis and treatment facilities should be made available in all general hospitals, they added.
Prof Syed Modasser Ali, as the chief guest, said a Glaucoma Institute and Research Centre could be established at the National Institute of Ophthalmology Complex at city’s Agargaon.
Prof Sheikh M A Mannaf, president of the society, stressed the need for vision, action and propagation to prevent glaucoma and to treat a significant number of patients suffering from the disease.
The Bangladesh Glaucoma Society will start a mobile unit equipped with modern instruments to screen and treat the glaucoma patients across the country, he added.
Prof M Nazrul Islam, general secretary of BGS, Prof Deen Mohammad Noorul Huq, president of Bangladesh Academy of Ophthalmology, Prof M A Matin, lifetime chairman of Bangladesh Academy of Ophthalmology, also spoke among others.
