Locally eye care company, Alcon Laboratories, in association with the South African Glaucoma Society, embarked on a countrywide communication initiative to increase awareness about this devastating disease, and in particular, to reinforce the message that family members of glaucoma sufferers are at a much higher risk of developing this disease and need to have regular eye tests.
A joint initiative between the Department of Ophthalmology at the Steve Biko Academic Hospital in Pretoria and the National Council for the Blind, supported by Alcon Laboratories, saw free glaucoma screening take place at Mamelodi Hospital in Pretoria on World Glaucoma Day, 12 March 2009. Of the 267 patients screened on the day, twenty newly diagnosed cases of glaucoma were found (7.4% of those tested). This number is slightly higher but confirms estimates which state that glaucoma affects around 5 - 7% of the black population, and 3 - 5 % of the white population in South Africa.
In the Western Cape, free screenings and awareness campaigns took place in various regions, driven by local opthalmologist Dr Ellen Ancker. Dr Ancker also arranged Cape Town Mayor, Helen Zille to release a proclamation about World Glaucoma Day which led to a significantly heightened awareness about glaucoma in the region.
At the St John's Eye Clinic at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital in Soweto, patients over the age of 40 were invited to free screenings on World Glaucoma Day. The first 40 patients were screened with the remaining persons being booked for screenings on subsequent Thursdays. St John's Eye Clinic, under the auspices of Dr Grant McLaren, runs free glaucoma screening on every Thursday throughout the year.
Other screenings also took place at Tshwane District Hospital, Pretoria West Hospital and Pretoria Eye Institute in Gauteng as well as the National Hospital and Pasteur Eye Centre in Bloemfontein and Vincent Mall and Mdantsane Mall in East London.
