A medical personnel
observes a child’s eyes at the free eye clinic at Bahari primary school in
Mombasa on Saturday / BRIAN OTIENO
Doctors in Mombasa are expressing concern over an increase in cases of cataracts among Kenyan children, a condition that was once mainly associated with the elderly.
Social welfare organisation Lions Clubs has raised the alarm through first vice district governor of district 411A Inderjeet Main.
“Before, cataracts were linked to old age. But now, we are finding even children born with the condition,” he said.
He spoke on Saturday during a free eye camp organised by Tudor MCA Samir Bhaloo in partnership with Lions Clubs at Bahari Primary School, Tudor.
More than 1,500 people, including patients from Malindi and Kwale, attended the camp.
A cataract is a clouding of the natural lens in the eye that causes blurred or hazy vision.
While it is most common in older adults, other causes include genetics, diabetes, certain medications and eye injuries.
Singh said the rising number of childhood cases is worrying and highlighted another challenge — a global shortage of eye specialists.
“According to the statistics, one doctor is serving millions of people. It is that bad,” he said.
He added that inadequate training opportunities, migration of skilled workers abroad and uneven access to healthcare have worsened the shortage of ophthalmologists.
“Our medical universities are training new doctors, but it takes years of practice to gain the necessary experience,” he said.
MCA Bhaloo called for more research to determine why more children are developing cataracts.
“I organised this camp close to school reopening so children could have their eyesight corrected and perform better in class,” he said.
Singh said patients treated at the camp presented with conditions ranging from cataracts and glaucoma to myopia.
He called for more Kenyans to consider cornea donation, which can restore sight through transplants.
“For cataracts, modern surgical techniques allow operations to be completed in just 15 to 20 minutes,” he said, adding that Lions Clubs is working with donors to make treatment more affordable.
