Doha: The Ministry of Public Health, in cooperation with Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) and Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) organized a number of activities during the World Glaucoma Week 2018 (WGW), which was held under the theme “Go Get Your Eyes Tested for Glaucoma, Save Your Sight”.
The ministry’s Director of Health Promotion and Non-communicable Diseases, Dr. Sheikha Al Anoud bint Mohammed Al Thani, said that WGW is held annually to raise awareness among community members about eye diseases that cause blindness, especially glaucoma.
She said Qatar’s keen attention to holding awareness-raising activities stems from the fact that glaucoma is the first cause of blindness among the country’s population over the age of 50.
The Head of Non Communicable Diseases Department, Dr Khuloud Al Ateeq Al Mutawa, stressed the importance of early detection, which plays a key role in reducing the impact on visual ability and preventing the development of the disease to the stage of visual disability or blindness, noting that many people with glaucoma do not notice it until the disease develops to reach advanced stages and sight significantly and permanently deteriorates.
