Kathmandu, March 27

Eighty per cent of eye related problems can be cured if proper treatment is given on time, according to ophthalmologists.

During a press meet organised by Nepal Society for Comprehensive Eye Care on its 40th anniversary, Prof Dr Tirtha Prasad Mishra, chairman of NSCEC, said the number of people suffering from eye related problems were on the rise due to increasing pollution. He also said that there was a need for organising awareness programmes on eye health.

He said people from the rural areas were less concerned about their eye health and thus more people from rural areas were suffering from eye related problems. “In comparison to males, females suffer more from eye diseases,” he said, adding that in rural areas women were deprived of health facilities.

“Protecting eyes from direct sunlight, wearing hats, timely check-ups and consuming foods containing Vitamin A helps protect eyesight,” he said.

According to Population Based Surveys on Blindness and Visual Impairment conducted by the NSCEC, blindness prevalence rate stands at 0.35 per cent in the country. Every year more than 2,400,000 people visit hospitals complaining of one or the other eye problems and 250,000 people undergo surgery of eyes. “We need to organise door to door campaigns to make aware people of eye health,” he said.