Glaucoma treatment program to assist poor patients

A charity program to provide support for glaucoma patients to undergo surgery and rehabilitation was launched at Shanghai Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospital on Saturday.

Glaucoma is a lifelong disease marked by increased pressure within the eyeball that can result in damage to the optic disk and a gradual loss of vision. It is the leading cause of irreversible blindness in the world.

In China, about 22.7 percent of patients with glaucoma suffer blindness. There are 9.2 million people aged 40 and older with glaucoma in the nation, causing 55 percent to lose vision in one eye and 18.1 percent to lose vision in both eyes.

The charity program will sponsor poor patients to undergo surgery at the hospital, and help medical professionals carry out educational programs on glaucoma prevention and control as well as early detection and early intervention, officials said.

Ti Gong