As countries celebrate World Sight Day today, eye experts have advised employees to protect their eye health at work.
Speaking to the media at Mengo Hospital, Dr. Dan Bwonya, an eye specialist said with the increase in digital and screen-based work environments, the relevance of maintaining good eye health has never been more pronounced, yet it is very crucial to avoid future blindness.
He said eye-related issues can have a profound impact on productivity and the overall well-being of a person. He advised that every 20 minutes, those using computers for long hours should look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds.
“For us who are at workplaces, eyes matter a lot. We know our lifestyle now without a computer, you will probably not be doing any work. So it is very important that all of us at workplaces love our eyes. This means you should care for them just like we protect our iPhones,” Dr Bwonya said.
Dr. Alirak also advised on making adjustments on computer screens, using proper lighting, minimizing glare, blinking often, and wearing glasses.
Meanwhile, Dr. Lisbon Aliraki highlighted the key causes of blindness in Uganda including, glacoma, diabetic problems, among others.
He advised the public to always go for eye check-ups at least once a year for adults and twice for children.
The World Sight Day has been commemorated under the theme; “’Love your eye at work’’.
In Uganda, 0.4% of the population is blind.