BSN3-9

SIGHT SAVING MONTH

Prevention of Blindness Program (DOH)
Program Title

Visual Health

Bureau (Office)

Degenerative Disease Office (DDO), National Center for Disease Prevention and Control
(NCDPC)

Briefer

National health program implemented by the Degenerative Disease Office with strong
collaboration with NGO's (National Committee for Sight Prevention) and other government
agencies for the elimination of avoidable blindness.

Target population

Older persons / Working-age group / Adolescents and Schoolchildren

Area of Coverage

Nationwide

Mandate

1. Local Policy:

• Department Order No. 73-B s., 2001 (Vision 2020 - Philippine Initiative "The Right to
Sight")
• Proclamation No. 40 (Declaring the month of August every year as "Sight Saving
Month")
• R.A. 6759 (An Act Declaring August 1 Every Year as "White Cane Safety Day" in the
Philippines and for other purposes)

2. International Policy:

• International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness 6th General Assembly, September
5-10, 1999, Beijing, China - the Philippines is a signatory in the Global Elimination of
Avoidable Blindness: Vision 2020 - The Right to Sight.

Vision

Healthy vision for every Filipino through eye health promotion and disease prevention.

Mission
 To eliminate all avoidable blindness by prevention and controlling diseases through the
development of human resource, infrastructure, and appropriate technology.

Goals

A commuinty (province) having a blindness prevalence rate of less than 1.0%.

Common Eye Problems

There are several eye problems that are more common among people as they age, although they
can affect anyone at any age. They include:

• Presbyopia. This is the loss of the ability to clearly see close objects or small print. It is a normal
process that happens slowly over a lifetime, but you may not notice any change until after age
40. Presbyopia is often corrected with reading glasses.
• Myopia (Nearsightedness) is a refractive error where distant object comes into focus in front of
the retina of the eye as a result of longer than normal eye-ball, so the distant object appears blur
to the myopic eye.
• Hypermetropia (Longsightedness) is a refractive error where distant object comes into focus
behind the retina when the eyes is relaxed.
• Astigmatism is a refractive error where distant object comes into two focal lines perpendicular
to one another. These lines may lie in any orientation and any position in relation to the retina.
This is primarily due to the aspherical (toroidal) corneal shape
• Presbyopia is the condition where one reaches early forties, his crystalline lens starts to lose its
elasticity and gradually hardening hence its focusing power diminishes, the eye finds focusing
on near objects difficult.
• Floaters. These are tiny spots or specks that float across the field of vision. Most people notice
them in well-lit rooms or outdoors on a bright day. Floaters often are normal, but can
sometimes indicate a more serious eye problem, such as retinal detachment, especially if they
are accompanied by light flashes
• Dry eyes. This happens when tear glands cannot make enough tears or produce poor quality
tears. Dry eyes can be uncomfortable, causing itching, burning, or rarely some loss of vision.
• Tearing. Having too many tears can come from being sensitive to light, wind, or temperature
changes. Protecting your eyes by shielding them or wearing sunglasses can sometimes solve the
problem. Tearing may also mean that you have a more serious problem, such as an eye infection
or a blocked tear duct.
• Cataracts. Cataracts are cloudy areas that cover part of or the entire lens. Since a healthy eye lens
is clear like a camera lens, light has no problem passing through the lens to the back of the eye
to the retina where images are processed. When a cataract is present, the light cannot get
through the lens as easily and, as a result, vision can be impaired.
• Glaucoma. This condition develops when there is too much fluid pressure inside the eye. It
occurs when the normal flow of the watery fluid between the cornea and the lens of the eye is
blocked.
• Retinal disorders. The retina is a thin lining on the back of the eye made up of cells that collect
visual images and pass them on to the brain. Retinal disorders interrupt this transfer of images.
They include age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and retinal detachment.
• Conjunctivitis. This is a condition in which the tissue that lines the eyelids and covers the cornea
becomes inflamed. It is sometimes called "pink eye" or "red eye."
• Corneal diseases. The cornea is the clear, dome-shaped "window" at the front of the eye. It helps
to focus light that enters the eye. Disease, infection, injury, and exposure to toxic agents can
damage the cornea causing eye redness, watery eyes, pain, reduced vision, or a halo effect.
• Eyelid problems. The eyelids protect the eye, distribute tears, and limit the amount of light
entering the eye. Pain, itching, tearing, and sensitivity to light are common symptoms of eyelid
problems.