MANILA, Philippines—In the Philippines, with over 500,000 people who are diagnosed as blind or visually impaired, the annual observation of Sight Saving Month helps promote public awareness about the importance of eye health and the prevention of blindness.
In 1954, then President Ramon Magsaysay declared the first week of August of every year as sight conservation week and designated the Philippine Eye Bank as the lead agency in its celebration. ADVERTISEMENT
“This fact points up the necessity of carrying on an educational campaign throughout the country to prevent blindness among the people,” Magsaysay’s Proclamation No. 40 stated.
Since then, according to the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines, August has been celebrated as Sight Saving Month.FEATURED STORIES NEWSINFO PhilSys IDs may be done by December NEWSINFO Teachers’ groups hit Tulfo over ‘prejudice’ NEWSINFO 2 men try to scam Senate President Zubiri
“The celebration aims to emphasize the importance of protecting and taking good care of the eyes,” the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines said in a previous statement.
“Likewise, the celebration encourages the public to be aware of available means of restoring lost eyesight and the value of organ donation, particularly cornea and eye donation,” it added.
According to World Health Organization (WHO), at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have near or distance vision impairment. At least 1 billion—or almost half—of those cases of vision impairment could have been prevented or have yet to be addressed.
Among those 1 billion people included those with moderate or severe distance vision impairment or blindness due to:
Latest data from the Department of Health (DOH) showed that a growing population of Filipinos has already started losing sight and experiencing vision impairment.
Based on the estimated 2011 population, DOH said that 592,000 out of 102 million Filipinos are diagnosed as blind. At least 2 million more are diagnosed as persons with moderate or severe visual impairment. ADVERTISEMENT
At least 62 percent—367,000—of those are blind due to cataract, while 10 percent—59,000—are due to error of refraction.
Years later, in 2017, the health department’s estimates showed that 332,150 Filipinos have been living with total loss of vision. These cases were caused by cataract (109,609 or 33 percent), error of refraction (83,037 or 25 percent), glaucoma (46,501 or 14 percent), while the rest are due to other eye conditions such as retinopathy and maculopathy.
An equally huge population of Filipinos were slowly having vision impairments.
There were 2,179,733 Filipinos in 2017 who had bilateral low vision, with 43 percent—937,285—due to error of refraction, 34 percent—741,109—due to cataracts, and others due to glaucoma and other eye diseases.
As of January 2022, the DOH recorded a total of 272,527 Filipinos who are visually impaired and have already been issued a person with disability (PWD) ID. Majority were from CALABARZON (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon), and the National Capital Region (NCR).
In the Philippines, among the most common eye diseases include:
Corneal disease due to trauma, infection, or complications is one of the leading causes of severe vision impairment and blindness, said the health department.
The term “corneal disease,” according to the Cleveland Clinic, refers to the variety of conditions that affect the cornea—the clear outer layer of the eye.
“The cornea can often repair itself after injury or disease, but more serious conditions — infections, degenerative diseases, deterioration—need treatment,” it added.
Detecting and preventing serious eye problems, however, can help preserve vision.
“Even non-vision-threatening eye problems can be treated to keep your eyes comfortable and your eyesight as sharp as possible,” said the Harvard Medical School.
Among the warning signs and symptoms, which could signal serious eye problems, include:
“The following signs and symptoms warrant a call to your doctor,” the Harvard Medical School warned.
To nurture and save Filipinos’ eyes, the health department advised the public to:
READ: COVID worsens ‘largest backslide’ in child vaccinations in 30 years
READ: EXPLAINER: Why children must be vaccinated vs rubella, tigdas, polio
Meanwhile, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) advised the public to heed these guidelines “for maintaining healthy eyes well into your golden years.”
READ: National No Smoking month: Cigarette alternatives just as harmful
READ: Vape Bill: Unresolved debate on vaping’s risks, benefits now to reach Duterte’s table
“Your eyes are an important part of your health. You can do many things to keep them healthy and make sure you’re seeing your best,” US CDC said.
The DOH also urged the public to “be a hero in someone’s eyes” and help someone in need of a corneal transplant.
“The Philippines has an eye bank that collects, processes, and distributes cornea of donors to be used in transplants to patients across the country,” the health department said.
Those who are planning or considering donating a cornea can visit the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines’ website through this link: https://eyebankphil.org/.
Why consider eye donation? “Donation frequently comforts a grieving family,” the Eye Bank Foundation of the Philippines said.
“Making a gift of renewed life can honor the donor and bring solace to the survivors. It also gives them a feeling that the death of a relative is not wasted and that the deceased is alive through another person.”
Subscribe to INQUIRER PLUS to get access to The Philippine Daily Inquirer & other 70+ titles, share up to 5 gadgets, listen to the news, download as early as 4am & share articles on social media. Call 896 6000.
We use cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. By continuing, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. To find out more, please click this link.