SLAMABAD, May 7: Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz has approved Rs2.5 billion for the prevention of blindness, said Health Minister Nasir Khan. He was speaking at the 10th Islamabad Ophthalmic Congress at Bhurban on Saturday. The government has increased the health budget from Rs6.1 billion to Rs8.2 billion.

He said the World Bank has approved $1.5 billion in the health sector for the next 4 years.

He said the prime minister had already approved Rs2.5 billion for the prevention of hepatitis in the country.

He said constant interaction of clinicians, researchers and scientists at national and international levels were of paramount importance in maintaining a superb standard of knowledge and procedural skills.

The minister said the eye health care programme was being integrated into the primary health care system so that the primary health care workers at community level can detect common eye problems and refer the cases, which cannot be treated to the secondary or tertiary level.

“Blindness is a serious problem, which affects individuals as well as communities mentally, socially, emotionally and economically. Recognizing the importance of the eye care, the health ministry has constituted a national steering committee for the prevention of blindness, which is very actively contributing towards this noble cause. The minister said Pakistan was one of the priority countries of WHO’s global initiative of vision 2020 for the elimination of preventable blindness. The Pakistan has a well-designed Vision 2020 program with property laid down objectives and target, we acting accordingly in a progressive way.”

The government, he said, along with it’s national and international partners, was trying to curb the causative risk factors for blindness.

“We have already launched a major life saving and sight saving intervention of integration of vitamin “A” supplementation with the national immunization process.”

The national survey for blindness, he said, had identified the cataract as the major cause of blindness in the country. The other causes like, glaucoma, corneal opacities, refractive errors, trachoma and diabetes-related eye problems also continue to confront our communities.

A number of concrete steps have been taken to combat cataract blindness. Owing to the non-availability of ophthalmologists trained in microsurgery and lack of adequate equipment at district level, the cataract surgical rate was quite low. With particular focus on these aspects, this rate has significantly improved throughout the country.

The minister said government had made substantial increase in the health budget both at federal and provincial levels to strengthen the programme already undertaken by the government to control and eradicate diseases.

New programmes for the prevention and control of Hepatitis and Maternal & Child Health Programme are being launched.

He assured the congress that their suggestions would be given due consideration and will form the basis of future policies about eye care system. — APP