Guyana records 237,000 eye examinations, clears surgery backlog

As Commonwealth nations gathered in Antigua and Barbuda for the 28th Heads of Government Meeting, Guyana has underscored that access to quality eye care should be a fundamental development priority as it is linked to education, productivity, equality, and economic growth.

“Guyana is honoured to co-host this Summit because we believe that the ability to see clearly should never depend on where you live, how much you earn, or whether you can afford treatment,” Foreign Affairs Minister Hugh Todd said as he delivered an address, on Guyana’s behalf, at the Global Eyecare Summit, held on the side-lines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Guyana co-hosted the summit along with Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Ireland, Nigeria, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and the World Health Organization (WHO).

Standing in for President Dr Irfaan Ali, who was at another CHOGM engagement, the Foreign Affairs Minister outlined Guyana’s extensive investments in eye care and called for stronger national, regional, and global efforts to ensure that preventable vision impairment no longer limits opportunity. He noted that President Ali believes that untreated vision problems can have lifelong consequences that extend far beyond the healthcare sector.