Doctors highlighted the importance of eye screening as it can help identify possible eye problems early.

About two million Filipinos in 2018 had visual impairment, according to the Philippine Eye Disease Study by the Philippine Eye Research Institute (PERI).

In the said study, more than one million Filipinos were found to have cataracts– the top cause of visual impairment in the Philippines.

This is why it is important that everyone gets screened for eye problems, said Dr. Jubaida Aquino, a vitreo-retina specialist at the St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City and East Avenue Medical Center.

“What is more worrisome is that among the people covered by the 2018 eye study, many who did not have visual impairments were found to have glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy – diseases that could lead to blindness,” said Aquino.

“This is why it is so important to have vision screening early on, and followed by the corresponding treatment,” said Aquino.

Meanwhile, the government was urged to provide “adequate funding” for the national policy on Prevention of Blindness Program (PBP).

The PBB is a “comprehensive eye and visual program” of the Department of Health that is “designed to reduce the burden of avoidable visual impairment by ensuring equitable access to quality eye care services.”

“We can all come together in helping people living with visual impairment or visual problems by ensuring that the PBP has adequate funding, especially for outpatient services, and consistently implemented at the national level and across the different local government units,” said Dr. Diana Edralin, General manager of Roche Philippines and President of the Pharmaceutical and Healthcare Association of the Philippines.

Edralin also said that it is important to “address eye diseases at an earlier stage or at least stop the disease from progressing to a point where it becomes a burden for patients and their families.”

“Early detection, stopping the progression or even reversing the disease would be ideal,” she said.