South-East Leads in Nigeria Glaucoma Cases, Says Abia Health Commissioner
Pecohub Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Enoch Uche, has underscored the importance of routine eye examinations, revealing that the South-East region of Nigeria records the highest prevalence of glaucoma in the country.
Uche made this known during a symposium marking the commencement of the 2026 World Glaucoma Week in Umuahia, the Abia State capital. He stressed that the time had come for a collaborative fight against glaucoma, which he described as a “terrible disease.”
The commissioner called on all segments of society to join the campaign against blindness, noting that the Abia State Government, under Governor Alex Otti, has strengthened healthcare delivery across the state.
According to him, the government has established health centres in all wards across the state and tertiary health institutions in the three senatorial zones to ensure improved healthcare access for residents.
Uche also disclosed that the state government has outlawed quackery and the practice of couching, urging residents to avoid patronising unqualified practitioners.
He encouraged citizens to utilise government health centres, which he said have been equipped with drugs and modern medical facilities as part of the Otti administration’s deliberate health policy.
The Administrator of the Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau, Dr Betty Emeka-Obasi, identified illiteracy and quackery as major obstacles in the fight against blindness, lamenting the enormous social and economic losses associated with preventable visual impairment.
She revealed that 6,381 confirmed glaucoma cases were recorded in Abia State in 2024, while commending Governor Otti for signing an executive order in July 2024 aimed at preventing avoidable blindness among residents.
Dr Emeka-Obasi noted that combating glaucoma requires a coordinated effort involving government, traditional institutions, healthcare professionals and faith-based organisations.
She further disclosed that the bureau conducted about 13,500 free eye screenings and carried out over 2,000 sight-restoring surgeries in the state.
Chairman of the 2026 World Glaucoma Week Symposium in the state, Dr Abali Chuku, an ophthalmologist and former Medical Director of the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Umuahia, said the global prevalence rate of glaucoma is about 4.03 per cent.
He lamented that about 94 per cent of people living with glaucoma are unaware they have the condition until it becomes irreversible, adding that nearly 80 million people worldwide are affected by the disease.
Chuku called for aggressive management strategies through public health education, early diagnosis and prompt treatment, while applauding the Abia State Government’s efforts in strengthening healthcare delivery.
In her keynote address, Professor Bernardine Nsa Ekpeyong, a Professor of Public Health Epidemiology at the University of Calabar, emphasised early diagnosis and treatment as the most effective ways to prevent glaucoma-related blindness.
She described glaucoma as a silent “sight thief” and warned against patronising quacks or relying on traditional medicine for treatment.
According to her, major risk factors include ageing, family history, diabetes and certain cultural beliefs.
Ekpeyong therefore advised regular eye examinations and strict adherence to prescribed medications, including the use of eye drops.
