A senior optometrist at the Third Eye and Vision Centre Dr. Kwame Oben-Nyarko has disclosed that there has been surge in eye infections among children.
This trend according to Dr. Oben-Nyarko is largely due to common activities such as the sharing of tables at schools, pens, usage of door handles, and shaking of hands which can easily transmit infection.
To combat the infection, Dr. Oben-Nyarko recommended regular sanitizing of surfaces that are shared and used by many people, both at home and in school.
“By sanitizing shared surfaces, we can break the chain of transmission and protect our children’s eye health,” Dr. Oben-Nyarko said.
He advised parents to take immediate action to prevent the spread of eye infections, which he said could lead to vision impairment and other complications if left untreated.
Dr. Oben-Nyarko made this disclosure at the ongoing Kiddie Eye Care Day free examination exercise in Accra.
He said several children have been diagnosed with bacterial eye infections, refractive errors, and allergic conjunctivitis, causing vision impairment and other eye problems.
The program, which offered free eye screenings, identified an alarming number of children struggling with eye infections, including those unable to see distant objects.
Dr. Oben-Nyarko has therefore urged parents to take advantage of the free screenings to have their children’s eyes examined.
