The Department of Health pushes for quality and affordable eye care. This is in action to the fact that blindness is most common among the elderly and the poor due to having no access to health facilities.
DOH Secretary Francisco Duque III disclosed that millions of people globally live with low vision and blindness. Duque said that the global figure translates to 3.4 million Filipinos who are visually impaired.
In order to provide Filipinos with access to eye care services, DOH have coordinated a nationwide eye screening and cataract surgery with selected government and private hospitals.
This year, the DOH and its partner agencies and organizations under the National Committee for Sight Preservation, aims to put up local Committees for Sight Preservation in the different regions and provinces of the country.
August is the Sight-Saving Month; with a theme “Excellence and Equity in Eye Care: A Human Right.” (PIA)