MARCH 10 to March 16 is recognised as World Glaucoma Week — a week dedicated to raising awareness of this neglected eye disease, also known as the “silent thief of sight”. Some of the symptoms of glaucoma include the sudden loss of vision, blurred and narrowed eyesight, redness in the eyes, and severe headaches. Patients also report pain in the eyes and seeing rainbow-coloured circles in the presence of bright lights. If left untreated, glaucoma damages the optic nerve of the eye beyond repair and can lead to irreversible blindness. Around the world, an estimated 3m people suffered from blindness due to untreated glaucoma in 2015, while another 4m experienced moderate to severe vision impairment. This figure is estimated to rise to a shocking 80m by 2020. According to the World Health Organisation, after cataracts, glaucoma is the leading cause of blindness in the world. Yet there is little awareness of this condition among the general population, and few get their eyes tested on a regular basis. Due to the lack of awareness and the inconspicuous and gradual nature of the disease in its early stages, patients delay seeing the doctor, until the condition grows so severe that they have little choice but to seek medical attention. Not surprisingly, most of the victims of the “silent thief” live in the developing nations of the world, where there is a lack of access to quality healthcare and a shortage of medicines. This is especially unfortunate given that the disease’s progression can be delayed if treatment begins in the early stages.

In Pakistan, it is estimated that around 1m to 2m people suffer from glaucoma, with nearly half of them having completely lost their vision, due to delaying visits to the doctor and receiving a timely diagnosis. Most patients are in the 40- to 80-year age bracket. As a consequence, doctors recommend that everyone over the age of 30 or 40 get their vision regularly examined, particularly if they have a history of blood pressure, diabetes or headaches and eye strain. The cost of medication is pricey, which results in some people not taking their medicine, even if diagnosed. There are also frequent reports of shortages of medicine and the required eye drops in the market, which are not locally produced and have to be imported. The loopholes must be plugged in the diagnosis and treatment of a disease for which there is no cure.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2019