Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, has highlighted the critical importance of routine eye examinations, revealing that the South-East region of Nigeria has the highest glaucoma prevalence rate in the country.

He made the remarks during the symposium marking the launch of the 2026 World Glaucoma Week in Umuahia, the state capital, noting that the time has come for a collaborative fight against glaucoma, which he described as a “terrible disease.”

Professor Uche urged every level of society to join efforts in combating blindness. He stressed that the Abia State Government, under Governor Alex Otti, has established health centers in all wards and tertiary health institutions across the state’s three senatorial zones to ensure access to quality healthcare for residents.

He further emphasized that the state government has outlawed quackery and couching, calling on citizens to seek care at authorized health centers equipped with modern facilities and medications as part of the Otti administration’s deliberate health policy.

The Administrator of the Abia State Eye Management Bureau, Dr. Betty Emeka-Obasi, identified illiteracy and quackery as major obstacles in the fight against blindness, lamenting the significant social and economic losses associated with untreated eye conditions.

She reported that 6,321 cases of glaucoma were confirmed in Abia State in 2024, and lauded Governor Otti for signing an executive order in July 2024 to ensure that residents do not lose their sight.

Dr. Emeka-Obasi stressed that combating glaucoma requires a concerted effort from government, traditional institutions, professionals, and faith-based organizations. She recalled that the State Eye Management Bureau conducted 13,500 free eye screenings and performed over 2,000 sight-restoring surgeries, among other initiatives.

Chairman of the 2026 World Glaucoma Week Symposium, Dr. Abali Chuku, an ophthalmologist and former Medical Director of the Federal Medical Center (FMC), Umuahia, noted that the global glaucoma prevalence rate is 4.03%, lamenting that 94% of sufferers are unaware of their condition until it becomes irreversible. He added that approximately 80 million people worldwide are affected by glaucoma.

Dr. Chuku called for an aggressive management approach through health education, early diagnosis, and treatment, while commending the Abia State Government for its efforts in healthcare delivery.

In the keynote address, Professor Bernardine Nsa Ekpeyong, a professor of public health epidemiology at the University of Calabar, stressed that early diagnosis and treatment are the most effective ways to prevent glaucoma-related blindness, which is irreversible.

She described glaucoma as a silent “Sight Thief,” warning against patronizing quacks or relying on traditional medicine. She noted that major risk factors include age, family history, diabetes, and cultural beliefs, and reinforced the importance of regular eye checks and adherence to prescribed medications, including eye drops.