Eye Health Project : Impressive Results Trigger Second Phase

“The first phase of Brightsight project benefitted 20,000 secondary school students in Yaounde; with about 1,500 receiving eye glasses. In all, about 3,000 students with eye challenges were treated. These encouraging results moved us to embark on the second phase of the project. The number of beneficiaries this time has been increased from 20,000 to 30,000 students in the Biyem-Assi area of Yaounde and in Dschang, Menoua Division of West Region in next the 12-months,” Dr Ismael Teta, Cameroon Country Director for the charity, Helen Keller Intl, explained.

Scaling Up The Project 
Dr Teta spoke in Yaounde on February 2, 2023 at the launch of the second phase of the eye care project. “With government’s support, we hope the results will continue to improve so that the project could be extended in the coming years to cover almost all the secondary schools in Cameroon,” Dr Teta said. The project has been implemented since two years ago by Helen Keller Intl, the Ministry of Public Health and the Ministry of Secondary Education.

Appropriation By Teachers
The projects is implemented in various stages – the training of teachers to screen students for eye problems; and eye care workers visiting schools to crosscheck the results of the screening carried out by teachers. The students confirmed to have eye challenges are then referred for further action – offer of eye glasses, treatment and surgery by the Yaounde Central Hospital.

Government Offers Health Professionals 
According to Prof. Epee Emilienne of the Department for the Fight Against Pandemic and Epidemic Diseases in the Ministry of Public Health, children are often unable to tell what is happening to them. Though they are not health professionals, teachers spend more time with children. “This is why the project trains teachers to carry out the first level of screening for eye problems. With the Ministry of Public Health providing the health professionals to assist the Ministry of Secondary Education to attain the project objectives,” Prof. Epee noted. 

Helen Keller-MINESEC Partnership
“The Ministry of Secondary Education, MINESEC entered a partnership with the charity, Helen Keller Intl Cameroon. And the Centre Region is one of the beneficiaries through the screening of students from private and public secondary schools for eye problems. The project is highly welcome. Without good health, students cannot perform well in class. Similarly, someone without education does understand anything about the future,” Mrs. Ndemba Sidoine, the Centre Regional Delegate for Secondary Education, stressed. 

Over 20,000 Children Screened
Results from the first phase of the project implemented in the Centre Region show that 20,124 children aged 11-15 years from 27 secondary schools were screened. The prevalence of refractive error was 9.8 per cent amongst participating children. Three children who were diagnosed with cataract received 100 per cent free surgery. While 1,500 eye glasses were distributed to children with severe eye refractive problems.

Most Common Eye Issue
In Cameroon, refractive errors re...