Optometrists in Imo State urge residents to prioritize their vision as God’s precious gift …Celebrate ‘World Optometry Week’

By Ifeanyichukwu Ibe…

Optometrists in Imo State under the umbrella of Nigeria Optometric Association (NOA), Imo State Chapter, have called on the residents of the state to prioritize their eye health to achieve optimal vision. The call was made on Wednesday, March 19, following the commemoration of 2025 World Optometry Week with the theme: “Eyes to the Future: Optometry Improving Global Wellness.”

In his address, the Imo State Chairman of NOA, Dr. Patrick Iwuchukwu, disclosed that the yearly event brings to pubic awareness the importance of sight and the strategic place of optometrists in public health, especially eye care delivery.

According to him, optometrists are trained and licensed primary healthcare practitioners who provide comprehensive  vision care, including, detection/diagnosis,
corrections of refractive errors,
dispensing, and management of diseases in the eye, and the rehabilitation of ocular conditions. He added that NOA members also diagnose systemic eye conditions and diseases with ocular manifestation like hypertension and diabetes among others.

He further said that NOA in conjunction with the World council of Optometry (WCO) celebrates the week which SPANS FROM 17TH- 23RD March as a means of enlightening the public that the importance of sight cannot be ignored or overemphasized as a precious gift from God. He posited that the eye is crucial as the window of the body which enables one to enjoy light and direction. He added that without vision, it would be difficult for one to achieve his potentials.

“When you close your eyes, you will find out that the world is dark because you cannot see. The eye is the window of the body. So, for you to be productive and efficient in your family, environment, work place and other places you find yourself, your eyes have to be in a good and healthy condition. If you are not seeing, you will not enjoy and appreciate the world and things around you,” Dr. Iwuchukwu said.

The chairman, called on members of the public to desist from neglecting their eye health, and frowned that cases of blindness and visual impairments are on the increase because people are negligent in according their vision the necessary and timely attention. He explained that in most cases, patients only come to consult the optometrists when a major damage had taken place in their eyes, as he urged them to turn a new leaf.

Dr. Iwuchukwu, also disclosed that NOA members in the state despite challenges are doing their best to deliver quality eye care services to the residents of the state. He also said that the 2025 theme of the World Optometry Week synchronized with the objectives of the Imo NOA towards ensuring sustainable eye care delivery. He averred that NOA would use the opportunity to advocate for an enabling environment for optometry profession to thrive for public good.

Soliciting government support, Dr. Iwuchukwu, emphasized the importance of optometrists in the state to be well remunerated and integrated into the health system to enable them preserve public vision. He outlined requisite subjects for the study of optometry to include, physics, chemistry, biology, mathematics and English, with two institutions in state offering the six- year course.

Contributing, the Imo State NOA Vice-Chairman, Dr. Iroakazi Joyce, highlighted the importance of World Optometry Week in awareness creation of the work of optometrists in the society as well as the need to stimulate the consciousness of the people towards taking care of their sight. Dr. Iroakazi, who called for collaborative efforts towards stamping out avoidable causes of blindness, urged patients to be prompt in attending to their eye health to save them from damage.