– dental initiative already ongoing
THE Health Ministry’s national eye care programme which targets mostly adults is now being expanded to accommodate school aged children, an initiative that is being done in collaboration with Eye Care Guyana and the Ministry of Education. Director of   Regional Health Services, Dr. Narine Singh emphasised that the programme will see all Grade 6 students being screened to identify any visual errors so that they can be provided with the necessary corrective measures early. The Health Ministry is currently working out the logistics with the Education Ministry to launch the programme.
He explained that while the ministry does not provide free spectacles, students can access free screening and the eyeglasses from Eye Care Guyana at prices far below those offered by private organizations. Parents will be given the child’s prescription to get the glasses from the organisation.
This initiative is part of the 20/20 vision programme which is an international initiative that Guyana has signed on to.
This particular project the Health Ministry is embarking upon focuses on detecting eye related problems in school aged children because this is a common issue among students that impacts their learning abilities.
The aim is to reach students before they advance to the secondary level and highlights the potential educational advancements.
VISION 2020 is a global initiative that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020. It was launched on February 18, 1999 by the World Health Organisation (WHO) together with the more than 20 international non-governmental organisations involved in eye care and prevention and management of blindness that comprise the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
It is a partnership that provides guidance, technical and resource support to countries that have formally adopted its agenda.
Meanwhile a dental initiative is ongoing in some schools and is being done in collaboration with the Cheddi Jagan Dental Centre and will be taken to all the administrative regions.
For last month the team spent several days in Region 4 attending to students. The team will be moving to Region 5 shortly. A mobile unit is being utilised to provide services.