World Sight Day supplement

Oct 13, 2016

The main challenge for the blind and visually impaired is mobility. Many do not have personal assistants or white canes to enable them move on their own

By Jacky Achan

Cataracts are the leading cause blindness in Uganda, health minister Ruth Aceng has said. Cataracts cause blindness by clouding the eye's natural lens that lies behind the iris and the pupil. Aceng's remarks come as Uganda joins the rest of the world to mark the World Sight Day today. Globally, cataracts are also the most common cause of blindness. It is also the most common cause of vision loss in people over 40 years of age. In Uganda, 1.2 million people, both adults and children, are visually impaired due to refractive errors. And, at least 250,000 people are totally blind in Uganda. Of these, according to Aceng, 57% of the cases are caused by cataracts, which is also the most common cause of vision loss in people over 40 years of age. Esther Kyozira, the programme manager for disability and human rights at the National Union of disabled persons in Uganda, says blindness can also be acquired at birth or during adulthood. CLICK HERE FOR MORE

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