The Ministry of Health, through the National Eye Health Program (NEHP), has joined local and international partners to commemorate World Sight Day, calling for increased investment in eye-care services, specialized health workers, early screening and expanded access to treatment across Liberia.
The celebration brought together Ministry of Health officials, eye-health professionals and representatives of Lions Club International, Sightsavers, OneSight, Samaritan’s Purse, the World Health Organization (WHO), Good Vision and New Sight.
In a remark, Dr. Cuallau Jabbeh-Howe, Assistant Minister for Preventive Services, said the Ministry is working to expand basic eye-health services nationwide, with emphasis on human-resource development.
“We are reaching out to individuals in the community to ensure that our people are safe,” she said, while thanking partners for their continued support.
“We want to reaffirm the Ministry of Health’s commitment to ensure that no one is left behind,” Dr. Jabbeh-Howe added.
Dr. Molley R. Goe, Director of the National Eye Health Program, said the Ministry and its partners have conducted eye screenings in schools across Monrovia and surrounding communities, reaching students, faculty and other residents.
“We want to remind the public that eye health is everybody’s business. People should not wait until they have severe problems with their vision before seeking care,” Dr. Goe said.
He urged Liberians to prioritize regular eye examinations and seek treatment when changes in vision occur.
“Early detection is very important because some eye conditions can be managed successfully when they are identified at an early stage,” he added.
Dr. Lawrence K. Bropleh, Chairman of the National Eye Health Steering Committee, commended the Ministry and its partners but stressed that infrastructure and equipment alone cannot address Liberia’s eye-health challenges.
“We can have all the best equipment here, but if doctors, nurses and administrators do not come with the requisite skills and know-how to attend to the people who need to receive care at this center, then it means that the real ends and objectives of this eye center and the equipment will not be achieved,” Dr. Bropleh said.
He called for greater investment in specialized eye-care professionals, including optometric nurses and ophthalmologists.
Dr. Bropleh urged the government and partners to integrate eye-health services into county health systems and school-health programs.
“Owing to the high burden of morbidity caused by blindness and its bi-directional link to poverty, it is my humble plea to state actors through the Ministry of Health to commit to supporting and working with existing partners to ensure that eye-health services are gradually integrated into all of our county health systems, as well as school-health services across the country,” he said.
He also called for greater support to eye-care facilities outside Monrovia, describing county facilities as critical to bringing services closer to communities.
“These facilities across our country need to be supported because they stand as the bedrock,” he
The Steering Committee Chairman also called for stronger professional training and warned against unqualified personnel presenting themselves as eye-care specialists.
“We must commit to intensively training our health practitioners to become excellent and dependable optometric practitioners to deliver the very best health-care services,” he said.
“Healthcare personnel who are not trained in optometric nursing or ophthalmology must not pretend,” he added.
Dr. Bropleh said eye health should be viewed as an essential component of national development, noting that farmers, engineers, teachers, police officers, health workers and other professionals depend on good vision to perform their duties.
“No country can thrive in prosperity and development in the absence of a healthy population,” he said.
He called for early screening, particularly among infants and children, as well as increased funding and logistical support for eye-care centers nationwide.
“When I travel across the country and interact with the population, especially in some of our counties, there are no eye clinics, no optometric nurses, no ophthalmologists,” he said.
He urged national authorities and partners to strengthen community screening, early diagnosis, public education, prevention and treatment of avoidable eye diseases, while expanding capacity for eye surgery and other sight-saving interventions.
Mr. Hiaka Hinneh, Deputy Director, Eye Health Program, highlighted the significance of World Sight Day, emphasizing public awareness, regular eye examinations, early detection and timely treatment as key measures in preventing avoidable blindness.
Representatives of Lions Club International, Sightsavers, OneSight, Samaritan’s Purse, Good Vision and New Sight also reaffirmed their support for Liberia’s eye-health agenda.
The observance underscored the need for continued collaboration among the government, partners, health workers and communities to expand access to quality eye-care services and reduce preventable vision loss in Liberia.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Health, Republic of Liberia.
