A report appearing in this paper the other day pointed out the sad fact that the incidence of blindness in Pakistan is so high that the country is listed in the World Health Organization's "most severe" category. Nearly two million people suffer from blindness. What makes the situation even sadder is that in a majority of cases the problem is both preventable and curable.
While nourishment deficiencies account for much of the prevalence of blindness among young people, overall the most common reason for loss of sight is cataract - a curable disease. It hardly needs saying that the problem is related to ignorance and poverty, two inter-related factors. That places a special responsibility on the government to create awareness about the causes of blindness and to provide necessary medical facilities to those whose suffering is curable.
Few would disagree that from among the five senses Nature bestowed upon man, sight is the most important one. Inability to see can impair the quality of life in so many different ways. The distress blindness causes to its victims is immeasurable in materialistic terms. Yet those in the habit of calculating in terms of cold statistics say it is responsible for an estimated annual financial loss of Rs 50 billion since the visually handicapped people cannot make full use of their potential as productive members of society. Of course, there are exceptions, but since the sufferers usually belong to poorer sections of society, they can ill-afford to attend special education institutions or to learn some skill.
In any case, no society is worth much respect if it does not take care of its weak and disadvantaged members. It is heartening to know that the government is working on a national programme under the rubric of 'Vision 2020 Pakistan' for the prevention and cure of blindness.
About 105 eye care units are to be set up at tehsil level. Additionally, seven centres of excellence and 20 tertiary care hospitals are to be established while some 5000 health care workers are also to be trained to enhance the countrywide capacity of the eye care programme. It is expected that these facilities will make the treatment of eye diseases both easily accessible and cheap. It is not clear though what is to be done, if at all there is any such plan, about loss of sight caused by dietary deficiencies. Presently, the government does run some periodic public awareness advertisements to inform ordinary people how simple administration of a certain vitamin can help ward off the affliction among children.
But that is not enough. A more hands-on and sustained campaign is in order. Some may want to offer the excuse of limited resources. But considering that for a number of years now the government is managing a well-organised polio eradication campaign, it should not be so difficult to check blindness brought on by dietary deficiency or some other minor, treatable trouble. Clearly, what is needed is a strong will to help the less fortunate people.