A free medical camp organised in Siaya in March shows the urgency of going for regular eye checkups.
Out of the 1,113 people who turned up for screening, 252 had eye infections, which the organisers say should concern everybody.
"The eye is a real and serious health challenge that many people are battling in society. 252 out of 1,113 is not a small number," Dominic Ochieng', the administrator at Ruma Women Development, told the Star on Tuesday.
The community-based organisation held the clinic at Obaga dispensary in Rarieda subcounty.
Since 2016, the CBO has been partnering with like-minded organisations to help eliminate avoidable causes of blindness, such as cataract.
"Through the Eye Health Project, Ruma has been sensitising the community, mobilising, screening and referring patients for surgeries and further management," Ochieng said.
Ruma Women Development also conducts follow-ups for pre and post-ops clients.
Operating in Rarieda and Gem subcounties of Siaya with a population of 171,355 and 202,220 respectively, the CBO has contributed to about 40 per cent of the cataract surgeries in Siaya, Ochieng said.
Speaking at the CBO's office in Aram, Rarieda, on Tuesday, Jane Ouma, the cluster director of the Fred Hollows Foundation in Kenya, said eye health is a health emergency.
"Nine out of 10 people who are blind should not be blind," Ouma said.
"Eye diseases should be identified early if cure is to be found because nothing can be done when it is identified late."
She called on everybody in the country to be going for regular eye check ups, at least every year, to see to it that eye diseases are identified and diagnosed earlier.
Nearly 8,000 cataract surgeries have been done in Siaya following the partnership that the FHF has with Ruma Women Development and two other CBOs in Siaya county, namely Globcom and Dongruok Ndogo.
Ouma said the 8,000 mark speaks of just how seriously eye diseases are tormenting the people of Siaya.
"The FHF has a presence in 18 other counties in Kenya, but the number of surgeries done in Siaya is the highest.
We attribute the high number to a strong sensitisation and coordination by CBOs, such as Ruma," Ouma said.
The FHF, courtesy of the Australian NGO Cooperation Programme, on Tuesday donated a car to Ruma Women Development CBO to help revamp sensitisation, screening and referral strategies in Rarieda and Gem.
Ochieng said initially, they depended on motorbikes to do their work in the expansive subcounties of Gem and Rarieda.
"At times it was not easy, especially when it was raining. With the gift of a car, our work is now made easy," the Ruma administrator said.
He said clients who do not have fare will now be ferried to hospitals where they have been referred to.
Ouma said Ruma Women Development has especially been strong in identifying children who are visually impaired or blind and referring them for surgery and other interventions to help them improve their vision and go back to school.
The FHF focuses on eye health in general and handles a range of conditions, namely: cataract, eye injuries, infections, sukari ya macho (especially amongst diabetes patients) and glaucoma.
Through another partnership with the county government of Siaya, the FHF donated equipment worth Sh5.4 million to the Siaya County Referral Hospital and Ambira Subcounty Hospital on Tuesday.
They included an ophthalmic microscope, operating microscope and equipment for determining the strength of the lens they need to put on, Ouma explained.
Since the beginning of the partnership, Siaya county has received Sh27 million from the FHF.
Courtesy of the partnerships, 25 eye care workers have been trained in Siaya, five cataract surgeons included.
Community Health Volunteers have also been incorporated to sustain awareness creation efforts and referrals.
