Bangladesh will be in a leadership position in global eye healthcare: Health Deputy Minister

Today, Wednesday (July 15), after an important preparatory meeting titled 'Special Roadmap for the Development of Eye Care System to Prevent Blindness and Reduce Vision Loss in Bangladesh' at the conference room of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the Deputy Minister said this. 

Present at the meeting were Health Secretary Md. Kamruzzaman, Director of the National Institute of Ophthalmology and Hospital Professor Dr. A S M Qadir, Dr. Watin Alam of the World Health Organization's Bangladesh delegation, Director of the private research organization Ark Foundation Romana Haque, Research Associate Badruddin Saifi, along with top experts and INGO officials of the country.

Deputy Minister Dr. M A Muhit informed that a comprehensive 'National Eye Care Plan' is being developed in coordination with the government, non-governmental organizations, the private sector, and local and foreign organizations to ensure eye healthcare for every person in the country, from cities to villages. As part of this plan, a 'National Stakeholder Workshop' will be held next week, and the 'SPECS 2030' initiative will officially launch in mid-August.

Emphasizing three very urgent issues in eye care, international public health and eye specialist Dr. Muhit said, "Currently, over 10 lakh people in the country are blind due to cataracts. Reaching them with rapid surgical services is our priority. Secondly, millions of students in rural areas are falling behind in their studies due to lack of glasses, and the productivity of middle-aged working people is decreasing by about 25 to 30 percent. We want to ensure free and easy access to glasses for people of all ages."

He further said that diabetes is increasing rapidly in the country as a non-communicable disease. To prevent people from losing their eyesight due to diabetes, the government has decided to quickly introduce 'Diabetic Retinopathy Screening' services at least up to the district level. He expressed optimism that this revolutionary change in Bangladesh's health sector through health diplomacy will set a unique example at the national and international levels.