Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says this is why the Ministry is considering using eye screening tests to diagnose other underlying health problems.

Most cases of blindness and vision impairment in the country stem from non-communicable diseases.

Permanent Secretary for Health, Doctor James Fong says this is why the Ministry is considering using eye screening tests to diagnose other underlying health problems.

“There is a lot of undiagnosed NCDs around and what is most unfortunate is that many of those NCD’s only become visible only when a person starts to lose their sight. I am hoping that we do not have to pick up diseases at that point, that there is some degree of screening of the eye, we will be able to early detect impairment and do something about it.”

Dr Fong says blinding NCD’s such as cataract, glaucoma and diabetic retinopathy are the most common eye diseases in the country.

He adds 80 percent of blindness and vision impairment is preventable or treatable, depending on early detection.