Minister cautions against ‘glasses’

Tanga. They may surely make you look studious and trendy, but non-prescription eye glasses could be bad for your vision, a cabinet minister said yesterday.
At a time when some Tanzanians think that glasses could make them look attractive, the minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, warned yesterday that glasses must only be worn by those with vision problems.
She warned that a habit of wearing non-prescribed eye glasses could result into visual impairments that may not be fixable by usual means, such as glasses.
The minister further cautioned that even the use of eye drops without following doctor’s instructions can lead to the damage of the eyes.
“Wearing the non-prescribed glasses for a long time can cause headache and ultimately damage your eyes,” cautioned the minister.
Ms Mwalimu made the remarks when opening a four-day eye screening camp organised by Tanga Women Development Initiative (Tawode) in partnership with Bilal Muslim Mission of Tanzania (BMMT) and funded by a UK-based organisation-Better Charity.
According to Ms Mwalimu, in Tanzania, at least four out of 100 people who undergo eye screening procedures are diagnosed with different types of eye problems.
Besides, the minister called upon Tanzanians to take precaution of visual impairments by going for  regular eye screening. “I encourage people to visit health facilities and undergo eye screening on a regular basis. Eye diseases are curable,” said Ms Mwalimu.
Speaking on the same occasion, BMMT chairman in Africa Mohsin Abdallah Sheni said the eye-screening camp was dedicated to screen at least 2,000 people and provide eye treatment for free.
Hundreds of Tanga resident flocked to the camp  for eye screening.