The Ghana Health Service and the Ophthalmological Society of Ghana, with the support of HCP, Cure Blindness, hosted the second annual meeting on corneal transplantation with the theme “ELIMINATING CORNEAL BLINDNESS IN GHANA: THE TIME IS NOW FOR HUMAN ORGANS AND TISSUE LEGISLATION”. The summit sought to raise awareness of the high prevalence of corneal blindness and low availability of donor corneas in Ghana, share experiences and challenges for other countries that have successfully developed and implemented tissue donation laws and policies, and foster a platform for dialogue and advocacy influence politicians and legislators to enact, adopt and implement an effective eye tissue donation law in Ghana.
The Organ and Tissue Donation Bill seeks to establish a Human Organ and Tissue Authority (HOTA) to oversee and manage organ and tissue donation, establish a national registry of donors and recipients, protect their rights and interests and ensure ethical and legal standards.
In his keynote address, Dr. Anthony Nsiah-Asare, Presidential Adviser on Health, highlighted the critical role of the law in promoting eye health in Ghana. He said that of the 250,000 visually impaired people in the country, 11% were affected by corneal defects, which he described as a silent epidemic. The doctor pointed out that although the cornea is essential for vision, disease, injury and infection could damage its delicate tissue leading to irreversible blindness.
Additionally, Dr Nsiah-Asare pointed out that insufficient public awareness of corneal transplantation coupled with an inadequate donor pool and infrastructure pose significant challenges to effectively addressing this issue.
A corneal transplant is not just a medical procedure. It offers an invaluable gift of sight, enabling individuals to see their loved ones, appreciate the beauty of life and actively contribute to society.
Dr Nsiah-Asare called for public awareness campaigns, collaboration with international organizations and investment in education and infrastructure to transform lives and restore sight to those suffering from corneal blindness.
For his part, the Country Director for HCP Curblindness, Dr. James Addy, in an observation, noted that vision loss not only reduces employment prospects but also one’s ability to engage in other aspects of life, leading to underutilization of life’s potential. He added that in the absence of a law to legalize organ donation, the majority of Ghanaians who are corneal blind will never see again.
With the Human Organs and Tissues Bill in place, it will help facilitate other medical procedures, such as kidney transplants and organ donations, to end referring patients to foreign countries or waiting for organs and tissues to be imported for action .
Dr. Addy stressed that with about 26,000 people in Ghana awaiting corneal transplants, there was an urgent need for a law that would ensure fair and transparent organ and tissue donation, while protecting the rights and interests of donors and recipients and adhering to ethical and legal standards.
Although Ghana has made significant strides in strengthening its eye care services over the past decade, upgrading infrastructure and building capacity in health personnel, there are still 23,000 Ghanaians suffering from blindness and another 330,000 facing severe vision loss. However, it is worth noting that corneal blindness can be treated with transplant surgery as long as healthy tissues are available.
SOURCE: PUBLIC RELATIONS UNIT, GHS