The role of optometry in primary health care delivery in Nigeria: A case study of Abia State University, Uturu, Nigeria

Abstract

Optometry as a profession has a very important place in the Primary Health Care Programme for us to achieve health for all by 2010. Optometry is the art and science of vision care. An optometrist as defined by the Optometrists and Dispensing Opticians Registration Board of Nigeria is a health-care professional specializing in the art and science of vision care and whose scope of practice include: eye examinations to determine refractive errors and other departures from the optimally healthy and visually efficient eye; corrections of refractive errors of binocularity by means of vision training (orthoptics); diagnosis and management of minor ocular infections which do not pose a threat to the integrity of the ocular or visual system; and ocular first aid. The Optometrist by training is in the position to move vision and eye care delivery as close as possible to where people live and work. The global initiative, “Vision 2020. The right to Sight” established by the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, has created valuable and effective collaboration with organizations involved in a wide range of eye care and community healthcare activities aimed at the elimination of avoidable blindness and impaired vision. The Vision 2020's major priorities are the tackling of cataract, trachoma, onchocerciasis; childhood blindness, refractive error, low vision and so on. These have been selected not only because of the burden of blindness that they represent but, also because of the feasibility and affordability of interventions to prevent and treat these conditions.Global Journal of Mathematical Sciences Vol. 6 (1) 2007: pp.25-28