Eye care practitioners marks world glaucoma week in Ilorin

By Alaiye Ibrahim Mahfuz

In commemoration of the world Glaucoma Week, Eye care practitioners in Ilorin raised awareness walks and offered free eye screening within the Ilorin metropolis.

The week-long program was organised by eye care practitioners in Kwara state at Federal and State level, with support from various medical organizations.

The World Glaucoma week which is between March 18th to 14th began on 10th, Tuesday in Ilorin with an awareness walk campaign, aimed at educating the public about glaucoma and the dangers it poses to eye health.

“Glaucoma is an eye condition commonly associated with increased pressure in the eye, which damages the optic nerve and can lead to irreversible blindness if not detected and treated early”, Dr. Olamipekun Khadijah, Consultant Ophthalmologist at KWASUTH stated.

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She added, “It’s often described as a complex condition that refers to a group of eye diseases causing progressive damage to the optic nerve and loss of vision.”

During the awareness campaign, it was explained that High Intraocular pressure(HOP) is one of the major risk factors for glaucoma. Other factors include family history, high myopia (severe short-sightedness), and increasing age.

The awareness campaign took place across the Ilorin metropolis, where eye care practitioners, alongside student nurses, and medical students carried out a public sensitization exercise to commemorate World Glaucoma week.

The awareness walk started from the Maternity Complex of the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) along maraba, in Ilorin. Participants moved through Ipata Market, Oja-Oba, and Agaka before proceeding to the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital(KWASUTH) road and returning to the starting point(Martenity complex).

The walk lasted for several hours, focused mainly on educating traders, buyers at the Market and road side people about glaucoma, which is often referred to as the “silent thief of sight.”

At the awareness venue, over 100 participants including eye health practitioners, students nurses, and medical students, engaged members of the public with health talks and educational sessions on glaucoma.

They also informed residents about the free eye screening held on March 12, 2026, at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH) and the Kwara State University Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH).

Speaking during the awareness walk, Mrs. Fadesere, Chairman of the Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurses Association from the Department of Ophthalmology stressed the need for regular eye check-ups. She noted that many people are unaware they have glaucoma until significant vision loss has already occurred, indicating why free screening was organized as part of the world Glaucoma week activities.

Also speaking at the event, the secretary of the Nigeria Ophthalmic Nurses association, Mrs. Idris shared further insights on glaucoma prevention and the importance of early diagnosis and encouraged the public to take advantage of the free eye screening.

Although glaucoma has no cure, early diagnosis and proper treatment can help preserve sight and prevent permanent blindness, she added.

The awareness walk ended with a final call on the public to take their eye health seriously by seeking regular medical check-ups and participating in the free eye screening.

World Glaucoma Week activities in Ilorin concluded on March 12th with over 300 people, who benefited from the free eye screening at Kwara State Univ ersity Teaching Hospital (KWASUTH).