According to statistics, avoidable blindness is one of the major public health problems in Bangladesh.
The project titled "Eye Health Promotion and Prevention of Avoidable Blindness in Selected Areas of Bangladesh", jointly initiated in 2014 by the governments of Bangladesh and Korea, funded by the South Korean Government with a USD 9.4 million grant and implemented by the Korea International Cooperation Agency, revolutionizes care services in the country by providing advanced treatment options to combat avoidable blindness.
Cataracts, which primarily affect men and women over the age of 40, are the cause of visual loss in 80 per cent of blindness cases in Bangladesh. The number of adults in Bangladesh who are currently blind from cataract is estimated to be around 6,50,000. Assuming the incidence of blinding cataract cases to be one fifth of those already existing, a further 130000 new cases are thought to develop annually.
Health and Family Welfare Minister Zahid Maleque was present as the chief guest at the handover ceremony.
Zahid Maleque stated that by bringing advanced eye care closer to the people, Bangladesh government is taking proactive measures to tackle the challenges posed by preventable vision impairment. The establishment of these eye care facilities are identical with Bangladesh government's commitment to improving the quality of life for its citizens and ensuring accessible eye treatment for all.
The Minister thanked the Korean government for ensuring these eye care facilities are strategically located to ensure accessibility for individuals seeking eye care services in these areas.
Park Young Sik, Korean Ambassador to Bangladesh said that the handover of this project comes at a very opportune time given the constant threat of avoidable blindness in Bangladesh. He also underlined the priority of the health sector in Korea's development cooperation with Bangladesh.
The Korean ambassador stated that the Bangladesh-Korea Friendship Hospital in Savar, which opened in 1998, has been offering affordable and quality health care and the hospital now also has a modern facility for eye care to strengthen the capacity of Bangladesh government in preventing avoidable blindness which makes Bangladesh a key signatory of Vision 2020, a global initiative to end preventable blindness.
Lee Yun Young, Vice President of KOICA and a former Korean ambassador to Bangladesh stated that considering the potential of Korea's modern medical technology to make a significant impact on addressing the issue of avoidable blindness in Bangladesh through diagnostic equipment, surgical techniques, capacity building, public awareness campaign, KOICA stepped forward to implement this eye health promotion project which can serve tens of thousands of eye patients in coming years.
He emphasized that the project produced qualified ophthalmologists, nurses and managers who can recognize eye diseases, conduct refraction, provide eyeglasses, and refer patients to eye hospitals for more complicated problems with advanced first-hand training in Korea and Bangladesh.
Nargis Khanam, additional secretary of Health Services Division said that the project’s relevance has been multifold given the necessity to prepare and to respond to the persistent threat of avoidable blindness in Bangladesh.
Mr. Taeyoung Kim, Country Director of KOICA, Prof. Dr. Abul Bashar Mohammad Khurshid Alam, Director General of (DGHS) and high officials of Bangladesh and Korean government were also present at the handover ceremony.