Eyelight Optometrists: providing Batswana with clearer vision

Research suggests that 2.5 billion people globally have uncorrected eye vision owing to owing to not having the eyeglasses they need, as well as affording to do eye tests. In fact, approximately 1.1 billion just need a pair of reading glasses to attain clearer vision. Botswana as part of the global village is not exempt from the plague of vision impairment and blindness, therefore the local stakeholders being Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW) and NonGovernmental Organizations (NGOs) come together to raise awareness on the condition, with Eyelight Optometrist showing its commitment to the cause by providing solutions for those needing clearer sight.

It has become a common observation locally that eye health is one of the conditions that is not normally given a lot of attention unlike other diseases such as HIV/ AIDS, Malaria, and the current COVID-19 pandemic. Eyelight Optometrist, one of Botswana’s leading eye health services offering companies in the private sector, has embarked on a series of strategic

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives to promote eye health through partnerships with government, NGOs, and public eye screening services as well.

Through its government and community based support eye health programmes, the Tlokweng head quartered Eye Light Optometrist Botswana seeks to empower the local communities to save sight through early detection of visual impairment related conditions that may lead to loss of sight.

LEADING SUPPORT TO GOVERNMENT INITIATIVES IN THE HEALTH CARE SECTOR Leading Optometrist at Eye Optometrist Botswana Thanuja Panicker reveals the organization’s partnership with the government at varied intervals to offer free eye testing to public. As part of raising the educational awareness to-

wards the public and considering that the month of October marks the commemoration of the World Sight Day, this year members of the public were offered free eye testing in a campaign that supported the theme of #LoveYourEyes.

Panicker is also the Secretary of Botswana Optometrists Association which too has been supporting government with a free eye health expertise to bridge gap at government. According to her, 80% of blindness or visual impairment can be cured when given urgent attention. “Vision impairment affects people of all ages, with the majority being over the age of 50. An unattended cataract and uncorrected refractive error are the leading causes of vision impairment. Other causes such as age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy, infectious diseases of the eye, and trauma, however, cannot be ignored and need to be addressed. We are open as the private sector optometrists to work hand in hand with government to address the visual impairment,” she said.

She has said private optometrists from Botswana Optometrists Association reach out to assist through the community eye testing or screening initiatives to support the health ministry.

“As a private sector company in the eye health sector, we strive to forge partnerships with the government of Botswana to improve the service delivery on eye health. The government is faced with a shortage of optometrists in its public health facilities and therefore we are keen to assist to close the gap. Not all the private sector optometrists are able to offer support to government for free but different members from Botswana Optometrists Association do heed to our call as the association and commit to doing their part to highlight the importance of eye health,” said Panicker.

“We have also partnered with the Tshimologo Center for People with Disability where our eye health support services extend to the disabled to promote their eye health care. We also take our eye health CSR services across the country on a campaign and some of the places we reached, we were able to conduct health screening and offer glasses to the public for free. We did this in Bokspits, Maitengwe and Bobonong. To date, over 10 000 people have benefited from our free eye health services,” she said.

Moreover, Panicker who is also member of Lions Club International through Gaborone Lions Club said their services of eye health to the public also extends across borders to Zimbabwe.

She said Zimbabwe in its public health sector has a shortage of experts on eye health just like Botswana.

“I have been travelling to Zimbabwe to kick start campaigns in collaboration with government and Non-Governmental Organisations. But due to Covid-19 we didn’t have the opportunity to travel across the Botswana circuit, but our CSR initiatives are still ongoing and currently being offered by our other colleagues in Zimbabwe,” she added.

As the organisation endeavors to expand its capacity for public education on eye health, Panicker revealed that Eyelight Optometrist will be targeting schools to extend eye screening for students who are diagnosed with eye conditions and these students will be given glasses.

A GROWING GLOBAL EYE HEALTH CRISIS Over five hundred million people with eye problems live in less developed countries and face barriers to accessing essential eye health supporting services such as screening and prescribing eyeglasses too. According to research carried out on eye health by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in Africa alone, approximately 26.3 million people across the continent have some form of visual impairment.

However, notwithstanding the higher figures on visual impairment, WHO said with today’s knowledge and technology, 80 percent of blindness is preventable and traceable resources permitting. Cost-effective interventions are available for the major causes of avoidable blindness, however millions of people across Africa are still at risk of visual loss due to lack of preventative eye-care services.