School Screening Program

The incidence of childhood blindness is found to be highest in developing countries like Nepal where blinding conditions of xerophthalmia, trachoma, congenital cataract and other eye ailments are most common. It is tragic that, through inaction and ignorance, children become blind from diseases that are both preventable and curable, provided they are detected and treated in time. With the objective of detecting problems in children’s eye and provide them appropriate treatment in time so as the problem of childhood blindness could be addressed, HEH is conducting  School Screening program from the beginning. Under this program a team of OAs is sent to Schools who will examine students for any eye diseases, refer detected cases to the Hospital for prompt treatment, and maintain records for future reference. In an average, HEH conducts this program in 50 schools and there from examine eyes of 10000 to 12000 students every year.

Together with this program, eye health education, most essential for children, is carried out by the team simultaneously with the screening. The aim of this is to impress upon both teachers and students importance of good vision for learning, detecting low vision from their behaviour and visual acuity test, need for children to consume fresh, green, leafy vegetables which contain vitamin "A"; to make them realise the importance of personal and general hygiene and sanitation; to guard against eye injuries and learn to care for their own eyes; and to go to an eye centre or hospital if an eye disorder is suspected.

While conducting screening, the team will teach teachers and senior students the proper method of taking visual acuity.  By learning this, they can themselves detect disorder or poor vision among the students and refer the afflicted to HEH. In the event of any epidemic, the school authorities will contact HEH.