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Ahmadu in hospital recovering from the operation to treat his glaucoma
World Glaucoma Day
Sightsavers' supporters will be familiar with our work on cataract, river blindness and trachoma, but there is another lesser known disease called glaucoma which is fast gaining a reputation as the ‘silent thief of sight, both in the UK and the developing world.
Saturday 12 March is internationally recognized as World Glaucoma Day, and is an opportunity to raise awareness about the disease.
Preventable
Glaucoma affects around 60 million people in both developed and developing countries, and is the third biggest cause of blindness worldwide. If caught early enough it can be prevented, but it develops gradually, so people are unaware they have it.
In Western countries, a glaucoma check is part of a routine eye test. In Asia, Africa and the Caribbean, where eye tests are not as common, checking for glaucoma is more difficult, and is not likely to get picked up until it's reached a stage where it is much harder to treat.
Meet Ahmadu
Fifty-year-old Ahmadu Plufau from Kaduna State in Nigeria lost the sight in his left eye due to advanced glaucoma. Ahmadu, who lives with his wife and nine children, came to Sightsavers partner the Gambo Sawaba Hospital in Zaria City as he was experiencing a build up of pressure in his other eye. He feared that if he were to lose sight in this eye as well, he would have to give up his work as a tailor.
The pressure Ahmadu was experiencing was caused by clogged drainage channels within his eye. When this causes damage to the optic nerve, vision is lost. Glaucoma develops gradually, so many people don't realise they have it.
Luckily Ahmadu's condition was caught in time, and he underwent an operation to relieve the fluids in his eye.
After his operation he said "I feel better and the discomfort has gone. I'm really pleased that my eye sight has been saved and I can continue to support my family".
Glaucoma facts
Glaucoma is when the optic nerve, that carries images from the eye to the brain is damaged. The result is loss of vision.
- Around half of all people currently suffering from glaucoma are unaware they have the condition.
- Glaucoma is often associated with ageing, though it is not confined to the elderly. People with glaucoma in their family history are far more likely to be at risk. It is more prevalent among African, Asian and Afro-Caribbean people.
- Sightsavers tackles diseases like glaucoma by working with local partners to train staff at all levels. In the last ten years almost half a million primary eye care workers have been trained, who are able to spot diseases at the early stages.
