It has been estimated that, out of 1,000 children in Ghana, about 0.9 per cent suffer from blindness. The figure, therefore, accounts for 5 to 10 per cent of the burden that befalls the nation due to blindness. It will be worth noting that while World Health Organisation and the UN have done studies on blindness and the causes that lead to blindness among the people in Ghana, However, a proper blindness study on factors and the number of children affected by blindness in the country is lacking. Due to limited resources, blind school surveys are held as a primary source to understand and determine the factors that are the leading cause of blindness among children.
Cause Of Blindness Among Ghana Children
Several factors cause blindness among the children of Ghana. It ranges from genetically predisposed conditions to congenital conditions. There are also instances where micronutrient deficiency, like vitamin A, causes diseases that affect eyesight and can lead to blindness. Often, diseases like ophthalmia neonatorum, measles, and rubella can cause loss of eyesight among children. Also, other conditions that require early detection and surgical treatment, like cataracts, retinopathy of prematurity, and glaucoma, are leading causes of blindness among children. Another trend that has been recognised concerning blindness among Ghanaian children is the increase in the survival rate of premature and low-birthweight babies.
Primary Cause of Children’s Blindness in Ghana
Cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness among children in Ghana. The knowledge is based on limited research based on blind school surveys in Ghana. Surveys and journal articles also state that corneal scarring among children is higher in South Ghana than in the North.
Several reasons lead to cataract-induced blindness among children in Ghana. Most cases of visual impairment in children are noted in low socio-economic landscapes. Ineffective public healthcare infrastructure in rural areas results and the lack of availability of early check-ups with preventable medicine has been a leading cause of thwarting the progress of blindness among children in Ghana due to cataracts.
How Can Children’s Blindness Be Prevented?
As mentioned earlier, the number of childhood blindness due to cataracts is lower in Northern Ghana than in Southern Ghana, and the reason is due to the increased and improved coverage of vaccination and supplementation of Vitamin A. The drive to improve the healthcare system in Northern Ghana started in 1997, and a study shows that a significant decrease in measle-related visual loss between 1997 to 2014 coincided with a decrease in corneal scarring and cataracts. However, the low rate of measles immunisation in southern Ghana is seen as a significant factor in the increased loss of eyesight.
It is viewed by experts that the onset of blindness caused by cataracts can be prevented through effective management of the healthcare system. Despite the limited resources, proper training is needed for the health workers, community workers, traditional birth workers, and primary carers so they can identify the visual difficulties affecting the children. The process will warrant early detection and refer them to the proper avenues and doctors before they suffer permanent visual impairment.
Two Men, One Foundation and the Solution
Even after providing proper training, early detection, and referral, several barriers can prevent a child from getting the proper treatment and stopping permanent cataract blindness. The barriers can range from a lack of financial resources, limited to no transportation, language barriers, to fear of modern medication.
However, Ghana can experience a change in the lives of its people, including children suffering from cataracts and congenital blindness, with the help of two men and their NGO. Philanthropist Tej Kohli and eye surgeon Dr Sanduk Ruit’s ‘Tej Kohli & Ruit Foundation’ have taken their eye screening and surgical camp to Ghana in September 2022. It is part of their commitment to curing 500,000 people across the world of cataract-induced blindness and screening 1,000,000 people in underserved regions by 2030. In Ghana, TKRF has already conducted six camps and cured 1,580 people of needless blindness.
Angel investor Tej Kohli believes that with an early screening of children, the only way to prevent cataract-caused blindness is by improving the infrastructure and involving local people and hospitals with better outreach and training programmes. Providing the locals and educating them with proper materials about community health will reinforce the initiative to cure cataract blindness and provide timely treatment for the patients.