A massive public health education campaign to create more awareness about the glaucoma disease is to be launched in Kumasi.

Dubbed “Don’t let glaucoma darken your life”, it would involve public lectures and free screening.

The programme is being spearheaded by the Mama Ellen Foundation, a health-based NGO with support from the Ghana Health Service (GHS).

The Foundation, in a statement signed by Mrs Ellen Adutwumwaa Semanu said, the launch would coincide with this year’s glaucoma week celebration that falls on March 11-17.

It is estimated that about 600,000 Ghanaians are affected by this eye disease and out of them 250,000 are said to be either unaware of their medical condition or undiagnosed.

Available statistics also indicate that 50,000 of the affected persons have already gone blind.

The statement said more needs to be done to help the people to appreciate the seriousness of the disease as the leading cause of irreversible but preventable vision loss.

This, it said, demands screening, patient education and advocacy.

Glaucoma is caused through progressive damage of the optic nerve and if left untreated may result in blindness.