AA Onua and EA Awoyesuku*
Department of Ophthalmology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria
*Corresponding Author: EA Awoyesuku, Department of Ophthalmology, University of Port Harcourt, Nigeria.
Received: February 12, 2020; Published: February 29, 2020
Background: Glaucoma is a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide. Ignorance and poverty are known factors for late presentation. Early diagnosis and treatment are indispensable tools in curbing the menace of visual impairment from glaucoma. The Rivers State branch of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) creates awareness and undertakes screening of the populace for glaucoma during World Glaucoma Weeks observed annually. The aim of this study is to compare the socio-demographics of participants, the yield of glaucoma patients during the case finding exercises and the most effective public awareness campaign method.
Materials and Method: Cross-sectional survey of 173 clients presenting for glaucoma screening in 2018 and 2019 World Glaucoma Weeks at the ophthalmology clinic of the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital. Socio-demographic characteristics, pattern of referral, medium of awareness, educational status and occupation of the study-participants were obtained and analyzed.
Results: One hundred and three participants were females. The mean age of the study participants was 39.3 ± 14.6 years. Age group (40 - 49 years) had the highest proportion of participants (25.4%). The yield was 7.5%. Forty participants in 2018 were informed of the glaucoma screening exercise by first-degree relatives. In the 2019 edition, 73 (42.2%) of the clients were referred through radio while 50 (28.9%) were referred through posters.
Conclusion: The yield of glaucoma cases was 7.5%. Our study shows that dissemination of information related to glaucoma to members of the public could be better via first degree relatives, radio announcements and posters displayed at strategic locations.
Keywords: Awareness; Screening for Glaucoma; World Glaucoma Week
Citation: AA Onua and EA Awoyesuku. “World Glaucoma Week in Port Harcourt: Comparison of Yield and Public Awareness of Glaucoma Services in two Consecutive Years”. Acta Scientific Ophthalmology 3.3 (2020): 52-56.
Copyright: © 2020 AA Onua and EA Awoyesuku. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.