BY DARGIE KAHSAY
Chucha Tesfaye is a resident of Mercho Zigiti Kebele, Gacho Baba woreda in Gamo Zone of the Southern Nations, Nationalities and People’s State (SNNPS), a remote village in Arba Minch Town. According to Chucha, in earlier times, due to lack of awareness and limitations to have access to healthcare services, the society was affected by eye diseases which in most cases caused them to lose their sight.
As to him, the society was only treating eye related diseases by using traditional methods or by traditional herbal medicines. Approached by The Ethiopian Herald, Chucha stated that due to poor hygienic practices, unclean environment, improper practices of waste disposal, coupled with lack of access to clean water and basic eye care services, a lot of people have lost their sight by diseases that can be easily treated, cured and avoided.
“I know people in my vicinity who lost their sight after years of treatment with traditional medicines,” Chucha said adding that “but currently, following the continuous awareness raising efforts and delivery of healthcare services; everyone who may face eye related diseases, visits health centers immediately to get treatments.”
In addition, health extension workers exert utmost energies in educating and sensitizing the community, especially regarding proper waste management practices, having good sanitation and hygiene habits, building toilets in the rural villages and maintaining the environment clean, as well as keeping the health of children. “As a result, as far as I know, these days, compared to the earlier times, losing eye sight has meaningfully decreased among the society,” he stated.
Ermiyas Gayo is also a resident of Mercho Zigiti Kebele. He shares Chucha’s idea concerning the past trend of the community treating eye diseases in a traditional way and the attitudinal change he has observed among them- being aware of the leading causes that were responsible for eye diseases and avoidable blindness; plus community’s response to prevent the challenges.
In treating eye related illnesses, society was entirely dependent on traditional medicines, regardless of evaluating their side effects. But now, the society is developing awareness about the protection mechanisms and goes to healthcare centers for treatment if any member of the family faces eye diseases.
According to dwellers of the district, in the past, they were thinking that sickness or blindness is an unavoidable disease or something comes from divine wrath. But, the attitude has now totally changed and the society developed the culture of visiting health centers to get treatments.
In addition, every household has adopted the habit of building toilets within their premises, and maintaining sanitation to have a clean environment. Through this way, the society is trying its best in fighting trachoma and other eye diseases to prevent avoidable blindness.
Kidist Tomas is a student at Zigiti Primary School in this same district. She is also a member of the school’s Eye Care Club. Kidist stated that the club is working in awareness creation to students about the protection of eye diseases, the causes and how to care for the health of our eyes.
“We are working jointly with the district’s health office and ORBIS Ethiopia to educate our school community and the society on ways of caring for our eyes” Kidist remarked. “Our school is a primary school which includes children from age seven. Hence, we invest in awareness creation for the children to frequently wash their eyes with clean water and give the needed care.
We use mini-media and stage dramas to teach the students about the caring mechanisms and the actions to be taken in case of sickness,” Kidist added. What is more, the club advises students to teach members of their families and neighbors how to care for their eyes, keep their environment clean and visit health centers just in case of eye related cases.
The World Health Organization (WHO) set a target to eliminate trachoma and all avoidable blindness cases by 2030 globally. According to the organization, cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors are estimated to be the leading causes of vision impairment. In Ethiopia millions are afflicted by active trachoma, the leading blinding disease.
Trachoma is preventable; and the majority of blindness in developing countries can be avoidable with access to plentiful eye care, the organization indicated. To achieve the 2030 target of eliminating trachoma from the world, WHO recommended SAFE strategy, which consists of surgery, antibiotics, facial cleanliness and environmental improvement particularly access to water and sanitation.
Speaking at ORBIS Ethiopia’s 25 years eye-care service anniversary and the lunchmeat of the 100 millionth dose of Zithromax treatment distribution in Ethiopia, carried out at Gacho Baba Woreda in Gamo Zone, Program Sector Advisor to Health State Minister with the Ministry of Health Lelisa Amanuel, said that trachoma is among the leading causes of blindness in Ethiopia. According to Lelisa, Ethiopia, joining hands with stakeholders, is investing its maximum efforts to combat trachoma and other avoidable causes of blindness.
Mentioning WHO’s 2030 strategy to eliminate trachoma from the world, Lelisa said that Ethiopia is working to achieve the organization’s trachoma elimination threshold by the year. To achieve the target, the country works persistently targeting societal attitudinal change and awareness creation as its health policy is protection. In addition, it gives due attention to the distribution of Zithromax- an antibiotic that fights bacteria- and conducts cataract surgeries to control blindness.
With this same target and to control trachoma caused by cataract, Ethiopia provided cataract surgery for 858, 052 people from 2016 to 2022 across the country. During the stated periods, out of the total surgeries, 124, 452 were carried out in three ORBIS Ethiopia operating areas in SNNPS, Sidama and South West Ethiopia, he added. Lelisa further noted that in the three ORBIS regions, 36 woredas fulfilled the minimum requirements of the WHO’s trachoma elimination threshold.
As to him, at national level, antibiotic Zithromax was distributed to 801 districts to control active trachoma, of which 295 of them stopped the distribution of the doses as they can control active trachoma. Similarly, distribution of Zithromax was conducted in 208 woredas where OBRIS Ethiopia is operating, and from these woredas, 73 of them have already stopped the dose distribution as they have controlled active trachoma. During the period, the country reached for over 6.5 million people, he added.
Ethiopia, to combat trachoma and other avoidable causes of blindness, gives due focus for WHO’s SAFE strategy, he reiterated. “Trachoma is preventable and developed countries have already controlled it though it continues to be a disease in the developing countries,” ORBIS Ethiopia Country Director, Alemayehu Sisay (MD) said. ORBIS provides over 25 years of eye-care service in Ethiopia and continues saving sights.
As to him, ORBIS focuses on societal awareness creation, strives in protection mechanisms like promoting sanitation, increasing access to clean water and supporting health care institutions by offering training to sub-specialists, providing surgeries and distributing Zithromax treatments. According to Alemayehu, during the past 25 years ORBIS conducted cataract surgery for over 300 thousand people in three states and distributed 100 million Zithromax doses.
“ORBIS launched its 100 millionth Zithromax dose of treatment in Gacho Baba district and there are people whose sights were saved behind the 100 million treatment doses,” Alemayehu said. During its presence in Ethiopia, the company opened the first eye bank in Ethiopia, trained sub-specialists and helped 48 districts to achieve WHO’s trachoma elimination threshold in the three states, he stated.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD FRIDAY 19 MAY 2023
