The eye care system in
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
can be said to be one in its infant or growing stages. Today there are less than 300 eye care professionals taking care of the eye needs of over 23 million Ghanaians.
History
Since
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
's independence on March 6, 1957, there has been much work done to promote and improve the eye care needs of Ghanaians. The main groups who are championing this goal now are the Ghana Society of Ophthalmologists, ophthalmic nurses group of ghana and the Ghana Optometric Association.
Regulatory bodies
Ophthalmological Society of Ghana (OSG)
The Ophthalmological Society of Ghana is a professional body of ophthalmologists in Ghana which governs the practice of
ophthalmology
Ophthalmology ( ) is a surgical subspecialty within medicine that deals with the diagnosis and treatment of eye disorders.
An ophthalmologist is a physician who undergoes subspecialty training in medical and surgical eye care. Following a medic ...
in Ghana. At its inauguration in 1992, there were only 15 members including several expatriates. As of 2011, their numerical strength has increased to 50 with not less than 5 expatriates. Their objectives include promoting good eye health in Ghana and maintaining professionalism in their profession as ophthalmologists. Their activities include organizing continuous medical education for their members and collaborating with each other and members of other ophthalmological societies around the world to improve patient care. They are associated with the
Illinois College of Optometry, the
American Academy of Ophthalmology, and the WGA.
Ghana Optometric Association
The Ghana Optometric Association (GOA) is the country's governing body for the
optometry profession.
Since 2009 all optometrists wanting to be members have been required to write a professional exam. Upon successfully passing the exam, the certification required to practice optometry is awarded. The group has about 200 members. In 2010 the Ghana Optometric Association along with the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology's Faculty of Distance Learning rolled out a two-year program to offer all members of GOA who did not have the Doctor of Optometry degree to enroll for it.
Nurses and midwives council
The Nurses and midwives council is the statutory body that regulate the activities of ophthalmic nursing practice in Ghana. The ophthalmic nurses group of Ghana is a professional body that serves as the mouth piece of the ophthalmic nurses in Ghana. The group has a membership drive of about 500 nurses spread out across the country. they serve as first point of call in eye care. They also collaborate with other health care professionals in the county to provide eye care service for the teaming populates.
Services
The Ministry of Health through its hospitals and health facilities is the main provider of eye care services in the country. Over the years it has taken various initiatives to train more eye care professionals through the various universities, teaching hospitals, nursing schools, training schools, etc. The aim of the Ministry of Health is to ensure that there is at least one functioning eye unit in every district of the country. Despite the current work, much work is still needed to improve access to eyecare in Ghana due to the low number of eye care professionals per 1000 people. Another group that is helping the Ministry of Health is the Christian Health Association of Ghana. Thirty-five percent of Ghana's health service provision is done by the Christian Health Association of Ghana. Most of the facilities that CHAG runs have eye clinics and these aid in service delivery in those towns and villages that are situated in.
The services that eye care professionals offer are varied and include:
* Cataracts surgery
* Glaucoma surgery
* Refraction
* Rehabilitative care
The chart below shows the number of eye care professionals in the various regions and also the progress made to restore sight to people with Cataracts in 2005.
[http://ghanaeyefoundation.org/privatecontent/.../Annual%20report%2005.pdf]
2005 Eye report of Ghana
Eye care personnel
Cataract Surgeries
Western Ghana
Despite a population exceeding 2.1 million, the eighteen districts in Ghana's Western Region are among the least resourced in terms of eyecare services.
Professional eye care services are available in four districts,
Wassa West,
Bibiani/Anhwiaso/Bekwai,
Ahanta West and
Shama Ahanta East Metropolitan.
In 2005 there were five eye care specialists in the region, comprising two ophthalmologists, two optometrists, one optician and an ophthalmic nurse.
Specialists operate from the Imperial Eye Care Centre and the SAEMA district hospital in
Takoradi
Sekondi-Takoradi is a city in Ghana comprising the twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi. It is the capital of Sekondi – Takoradi Metropolitan Assembly and the Western Region of Ghana. Sekondi-Takoradi is the region's largest city and an indu ...
, and from the Government Hospitals in
Tarkwa
Tarkwa is a town and is the capital of Tarkwa-Nsuaem Municipal district, a district in the Western Region southwest of South Ghana. Tarkwa has a 2013 settlement population of 34,941 people.
Economy
Mining
Tarkwa is noted as a centre of gold ...
and
Dixcove
Dixcove is a coastal village and a fishing community in the Ahanta West district, a district in the Western Region of South Ghana, located approximately 35 km west of the regional capital of Sekondi-Takoradi. The current Paramount Chief of Up ...
. Supporting services are provided by the region's 106 general practitioners. International assistance is offered through
Operation Eyesight Universal, which funds three district hospital satellite eye clinics in the Western Region.
Training Schools
Ophthalmologists
Teaching hospitals in
Ghana
Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...
train
medical doctors for a period of three to five years in Ophthalmology. A total of at least ten years is needed to train an individual from the Undergraduate level to the level of an Ophthalmologist in Ghana.
Optometrists
The first optometrist school in Ghana started at the department of Physics,
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology
Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) is a public University of Ghana that focuses on science and technology. The Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology is the public university established in the country, as well a ...
in 1992. The first class had just five students and were under the tutelage of Ghana's first Optometrist, Dr. K Monny. It was opened to only to those who had had their first degrees in either Biochemistry, Physics or Biology. Graduates from the school were awarded the Postgraduate Diploma in Optometry (Pg. Dip. Optometry). In 2000, a four-year Bachelor of Science Degree program was started to phase out the Pg. Dip. Optometry program and also accelerate the training of more eye care professionals in Ghana. In 2004, just as the first batch of Optometrist with the BSc. Degree had graduated, they were enrolled for the two-year Doctor of Optometry (O.D) program. They passed out in 2007. In 2002, the
University of Cape Coast
The University of Cape Coast is a public collegiate university located in the historic town of Cape Coast. The campus has a rare seafront and sits on a hill overlooking the wide Atlantic Ocean. It operates on two campuses: the Southern Campus (O ...
also rolled out its Doctor of Optometry program. Five students enrolled for the program and graduated with the 2008 batch of O.Ds from KNUST. Today, there are about two hundred Optometrists in Ghana working hand-in-hand with other eye care professionals to save sight.
Ophthalmic nurses
Trained nurses who wish to become ophthalmic nurses undergo a one-year post nursing school training in eye care at the Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital. Their training involves training in detection of eye condition and referring to the right eye care professional for treatment. They also are trained in managing common disease conditions of the eye as well as training to assist the Ophthalmologist in surgery.
Opticians
The Oyoko town in the New Juaben district of the Ashanti Region hosts Ghana's only school for the training of opticians. Secondary school graduates who qualify undergo a three-year training in lens glazing and fitting, optics and a lot more to qualify as an optician. They work closely with Optometrists in refractive therapy and refraction.
Major Eye conditions
There are a lot of ocular conditions in Ghana and as of now virtually all conditions can be treated in the country including those that require laser surgery. Occasionally, though, some conditions require the individual being taken outside the country for treatment. Below are the more common conditions in Ghana.
*
Refractive errors
Refractive error, also known as refraction error, is a problem with focusing light accurately on the retina due to the shape of the eye and or cornea. The most common types of refractive error are near-sightedness, far-sightedness, astigmatism, ...
*
Cataracts
A cataract is a cloudy area in the lens of the eye that leads to a decrease in vision. Cataracts often develop slowly and can affect one or both eyes. Symptoms may include faded colors, blurry or double vision, halos around light, trouble w ...
*
Diabetic
Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ...
Retinopathy
Retinopathy is any damage to the retina of the eyes, which may cause vision impairment. Retinopathy often refers to retinal vascular disease, or damage to the retina caused by abnormal blood flow. Age-related macular degeneration is technically inc ...
*
Hypertensive Retinopathy
Retinopathy is any damage to the retina of the eyes, which may cause vision impairment. Retinopathy often refers to retinal vascular disease, or damage to the retina caused by abnormal blood flow. Age-related macular degeneration is technically inc ...
*
Glaucoma
Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...
*
Bacterial Infections
Pathogenic bacteria are bacteria that can cause disease. This article focuses on the bacteria that are pathogenic to humans. Most species of bacteria are harmless and are often beneficial but others can cause infectious diseases. The number of t ...
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Viral Infections
A viral disease (or viral infection) occurs when an organism's body is invaded by pathogenic viruses, and infectious virus particles (virions) attach to and enter susceptible cells.
Structural Characteristics
Basic structural characteristics, ...
*
Agricultural injuries
An injury is any physiological damage to living tissue caused by immediate physical stress. An injury can occur intentionally or unintentionally and may be caused by blunt trauma, penetrating trauma, burning, toxic exposure, asphyxiation, or o ...
to the eye
*
Trauma
Trauma most often refers to:
* Major trauma, in physical medicine, severe physical injury caused by an external source
* Psychological trauma, a type of damage to the psyche that occurs as a result of a severely distressing event
*Traumatic i ...
*
HIV/AIDS
Human immunodeficiency virus infection and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS) is a spectrum of conditions caused by infection with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), a retrovirus. Following initial infection an individual ...
associated ocular complications
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Sickle cell retinopathy
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Allergic conjunctivitis
Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is inflammation of the conjunctiva (the membrane covering the white part of the eye) due to allergy. Although allergens differ among patients, the most common cause is hay fever. Symptoms consist of redness (mainly due ...
Glaucoma
Ghana is ranked second in worldwide statistics for the prevalence of glaucoma. It is estimated that 600,000 Ghanaians are said to be suffering from glaucoma out of the number, 30,000 are likely to become blind if the disease is left untreated.
The statistics continues to show that 8.5 percent of people above 40 years have the disease and 7.7 percent of people above 30 years also are with the disease.
The Ghana Health Service (GHS) is the government agency responsible for health care administration and delivery in the country. GHS has over the years initiated various programs aimed at improving the eye care system in the country. In 2008, the day was celebrated under the theme “Eyes on the Future - Fight Vision Impairment in Later Life Now
In Ghana, it is only the Ophthalmologist and optometrist who are licensed to manage glaucoma.
See also
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Optometry in Ghana
Optometry is a relatively new field in eye care in Ghana.
History
Optometry is a new field in the eye care system of Ghana. The Eye Secretariat of Ghana is the Ghana Ministry of Health agency concerned with eye care in the country. Ghana's fi ...
*
Department of Optometry, KNUST
*
Optometry, UCC, Ghana
References
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