Dr Harrison Kofi Abutiate, President of the Glaucoma Association of Ghana (GAG), has called on Ghanaians to go for regular eye checkups to reduce the risk of contracting glaucoma.

According to him, it was very important for every individual to check for glaucoma once a year saying glaucoma when detected early can be treated cheaply and completely but if not could cause blindness.

Dr Abutiate made the call over the weekend during a free eye screening exercise organized by the GAG as part of activities marking the 2012 World Glaucoma Week on the theme: “Don’t Let Glaucoma Darken Your life” in Accra.

He said the exercise was to create awareness on the disease adding that early detection of the disease can help prevent further complications.

“Glaucoma exists when the intra ocular pressure has been raised over a period and causes damage to the optic nerve head with corresponding loss of visual function. Untreated glaucoma gradually results in blindness because of the irreversible damage it causes”, he added.

Dr Abutiate urged the Government to ensure that during the World Glaucoma Week celebrations, public eye centres should be opened for people to have free screening and appealed to other institutions and public spirited people to support the association organise programmes to help reduce the number of the afflicted.

He also urged the media to assist in creating more public awareness on how glaucoma silently make one blind.