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Dr Kasonde said at the launch of World Sight Day held at KCH over the weekend that 90 per cent of the operations were of cataract nature.
He commended KCH for implementing Government strategies in fighting blindness and taking strides to ensure that avoidable blindness was eliminated.
“I want to reaffirm Government’s commitment to the elimination of avoidable blindness by being here with you to commemorate this important day,” he said.
He said blindness impacted negatively on the general social-economic status of the country and had far reaching implications on society particularly among the poor and needy in communities.
He said this was unacceptable considering that 80 per cent of all blindness was avoidable or reversible.
Dr Kasonde said it was for this reason that Government was a signatory to Vision 2020 the ‘right to sight initiative’ which was a global campaign under the World Health Organisation (WHO).
He said the campaign was aimed at soliciting support and effort towards elimination of avoidable and reversible blindness the world over.
He said the magnitude of blindness and its effects were devastating on people both socially and economically, hence Government’s commitment to eliminate blindness in Zambia.
He said Government had so far commissioned three state-of-the-art eye facilities in three provinces.
“My Government is committed to the fight against blindness and to improve the well being of our people, and as you all maybe aware blindness is closely related to poverty.
“You may also wish to know that eye conditions were among the top 10 major causes of morbidity in 2012 hence, the importance of the World Sight Day cannot be over-emphasised,” he said.
KCH senior superintendent John Mwewa said the high levels of blindness needed urgent interventions.
He said so far 350 patients had been attended to through the eye care programme which started in 2002.
