Eye Care Services in Nepal Within the Context of Non-communicable Diseases: The Past and the Future
Pradeep Bastola*
Department of Ophthalmology, Chitwan Medical College, Nepal
*Corresponding Author: Pradeep Bastola, Professor, Department of Ophthalmology, Chitwan Medical College, Nepal.
Received:
April 11, 2023; Published: May 30, 2023
Introduction
The alarming rise in non-communicable diseases (NCDs) imposes a serious public health problem globally. This is the time to act together to combat morbidity, mortality, and disability caused by NCDs like cardiovascular diseases, cancers, diabetes mellitus, chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases, eye and visual impairment, hearing problems, dental problems, mental health, and substance abuse, and of course road traffic accidents. Most of these NCDs are preventable, treatable, and curable through public health measures at various levels of interventions. The financial implications of these NCDs including ocular problems are huge and can dent the gross domestic product (GDP) of most countries. The lower-middle-income countries (LMICs) are expected to suffer more and are certain to affect the disability-adjusted quality of life years (DALYs) [1].
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