Ministry of Public Health Reveals Survey Results of Students' Visual Acuity Test

Doha, September 04 (QNA) - The results of the annual survey of visual acuity of school students which was run by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) during the academic year 2017-2018 has revealed that the sharpness of the vision of 14 percent of students in government schools and 25 percent of students in private and community schools is below the normal level of 6/6. The survey which was carried out for the year 2016-2017 revealed that 17 percent of students in government schools and 25 percent of students in private and community schools are below the normal level of 6/6. The survey, done by MoPH in cooperation with Ministry of Education and Higher Education and Primary Health Care Corporation, covered students in first, third and fifth grade as well as students in first and second preparatory classes. Manager of Health Promotion and Non-Communicable Diseases at MoPH Sheikha Dr. Al Anoud bint Mohammed Al-Thani said the survey covered 96,356 students of 326 schools, 154 of which were government schools (45,038 students), 172 private and community schools (51,318 students). She added that the State of Qatar is one of the first schools to implement an eye health program, where the visual acuity test is mandatory for students first, third and fifth grade as well as students in first and second preparatory classes. This comes part of the directives of the World Health Organization (WHO) where school nurses examine and transfer students with visual impairment to the specialist doctor to be diagnosed and treated correctly, noting that the weakness of sight may cause difficulties in student achievements. For her part, Head of Non-Communicable Diseases at MoPH Dr. Kholood Al Matawa said the annual survey is part of the ministry's work to comply with VISION 2020 "the right to sight": A Global Initiative for the Elimination of Avoidable Blindness and in aim to identify volume of visual impairment, causes of blindness and treatment. She added that the ministry is organizing a number of training workshops and lectures that target training school nurses on the right way and guideline to examine vision raise awareness on eye diseases and injuries and the ways to treat them. (QNA)