The David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences DUFUHS ultramodern eye center which is a state-of-the-arts Centre of Excellence eye research, Training and Patient Care, has began full operation.
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The Centre operates with a multi-disciplinary team or experts Specializing in conducting research and training on eye related issues, and caring for people with eye disease.
Eye conditions are remarkably common. It is a well-known that those who live long enough will experience at least one eye condition during their lifetime.
The Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Jesse Uneke disclosed this while presenting his speech during the official opening of the eye center at Uburu, in Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State Southeast Nigeria.
“According to the World Health Organization, globally, at least 1 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed”
“In the absence of timely detection, reduced or absent eyesight can have long-term personal and economic effects. Vision impairment affects people of all ages, with the majority being over the age of 50. Young children with early onset severe vision impairment can experience lower levels of educational achievement, and in adults it often affects quality of life through lower productivity, decreased workforce participation and high rates of depression”
“Vision impairment and blindness impact the life of people everywhere. In low- and middle-income countries including Nigeria, the burden of vision impairment can be even greater due to fewer opportunities to access the most essential eye care services”
“Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors are estimated to be the leading causes of vision impairment; however, other causes for vision impairment cannot be ignored. Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, long standing systemic conditions like diabetes causing diabetic retinopathy, infectious diseases of the eye and trauma to the eye are all equally important causes for vision impairment that need to be addressed”
“In Nigeria, an estimated 24 million people have sight loss. The Nigeria national blindness and visual impairment survey estimates that 4.2% of people over 40 years old are blind”
“It was also estimated that 4.25 million adults aged 40 years and above have moderate to severe visual impairment or blindness. According to the report, blindness was associated with increasing age, being female, and poor literacy. It was noted in the report that 84% of blindness was due to avoidable causes. Many people in Nigeria are unable to access basic eye care, leaving them at an increased risk of visual impairment and disability”
“The primary objectives of the DUFUHS Eye Centre which is a Centre of Excellence for Eye Research, Training and Patient Care, are enhance accessibility to eye care services especially to rural Community dwellers in Ebonyi State, increase awareness about the importance of regular eye examinations, provide affordable eye care solutions for individuals with limited financial resources, and develop sustainable strategies to ensure long-term access to eye care services”. Uneke added.
The Vice Chancellor said one of the functions of the eye center is Research and development in eye diseases In addition to excellent eye care services, the DUFUHS Eye Centre will integrate scientific theory and practice in the management of people with eye diseases.
He said the Centre will undertake regular blindness and visual impairment surveillance at state, regional and national levels to generate scientific information on eye diseases which will inform policy and practice and lead to improvement on the understanding of how to address eye related diseases in Nigeria.
“Diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases, the DUFUHS Eye Centre will function as a Centre for the use of advanced technology for the diagnosis of eye related diseases. The Centre will employ the latest experimental and methodological diagnostic techniques, including, Color Vision Test (Farnworth-Munsell 100 Hue Test (FM-100): Computerized Optic Disc Imaging and Nerve Fiber Layer Analysis (GDX, HRT, OCT): Corneal Topography; Electro-Diagnostic Testing; Fluorescein Angiography; Ocular Coherence Tomography (0Cm: Photography of the Eye (including retinal photography and fundus photography); Specular MicroscopV: Visual Field Tests (Goldmann, Humphrey, FDT, Octopus); Ultrasound of the Eye (Biometry/IOL calculation, A-Scan, Bsan); and machine learning and artificial intelligence in diagnostics”. He informed.
The wife of Ebonyi State Governor, Mrs Uzomaka Nwifuru express happiness and confidence while inspecting the eye center.
The pro Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council of the University, Dr Abdur-Raheem Adebayo said the University was initiated with the aim of ending medical tourism in Nigeria and to become the excellent center for medical tourist center for the world.
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