The federal government has urged Nigerians to undergo early eye check-ups and seek prompt treatment to prevent irreversible blindness, stating that glaucoma cases is on the rise across the country.
Iziaq Salako, minister of state for health and social welfare, while expressing concern over the increasing prevalence of the disease warned that Nigerians are genetically predisposed to glaucoma, making early detection and management crucial, and encouraged the public to take advantage of free screenings and report symptoms such as blurred vision, eye pain, or loss of peripheral sight to healthcare facilities.
Salako raised this concern at a briefing to mark the 2025 World Glaucoma Week in Abuja. He was represented by Akpan Nse, director of Port Health Services.