Health · Godfred Anku Kaali
VISIO International holds eye screening for visually impaired children in Larteh
Visio International, a Dutch non-profit organisation, through its Holistic Development for Visually Impaired Children (HODVIC) programme, has organised an eye-screening exercise for more than one hundred children in Larteh in the Akuapem North Municipality of the Eastern Region.
The exercise was also used to educate parents, caregivers and other members of the community on eye health, particularly the importance of early detection and appropriate treatment of eye conditions in children.
Health professionals took participants through ways of identifying eye problems, caring for children with visual impairments and supporting them to participate fully in school and community activities.
The initiative, supervised by the Department of Children at the Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection (MoGCSP), in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare, seeks to improve eye health, promote the wellbeing of children with visual impairments and strengthen support for their caregivers.
As part of the programme, Visio International also supports children who require further medical attention, including funding surgical procedures for those who qualify.
Speaking to GBC News, the Acting Eastern Regional Director of the Department of Children at the MoGCSP, Emmanuel Nana Osei, noted that initiatives that promote the early detection and treatment of eye conditions are important to the development of children.
He urged parents to treat all their children equally, including those with disabilities, and provide them with the necessary support to develop their potential and participate actively in society.
“When we started the project, we identified a few families who had children who were visually impaired. And one thing we realised was that some of them were keeping their children at home. So, they were not even exposing their children to the public. I want to advise parents that every child matters. It’s important that we give every child the love that is needed,” he said.
An Ophthalmic Nurse at the Tetteh Quarshie Memorial Hospital, Sarah Korkor Oduro, also advised parents to prioritise the visual health of their children by taking them for regular eye check-ups and participating in eye-screening exercises.
She cautioned parents against self-medication and the use of traditional remedies on their children’s eyes, warning that such practices could cause further damage.
Parents who participated in the exercise commended Visio International for the initiative and called for its continuation to benefit more children and families.
The HODVIC programme also provides support to parents of children with visual impairments. Under the programme, parents are trained in income-generating activities such as soap making and other vocational skills.
Visio International also provides soft loans to beneficiaries to enable them to establish small businesses and improve their ability to support the needs of their children.