Official government website of the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia 
The study prepared by Dr. Yousef Al-Dabasi, a faculty member at the university, revealed the results of which were presented during the "Community Eye Health" symposium organized yesterday, Sunday, by the Optometry Department at the College of Applied Medical Sciences at the university. It showed a high prevalence of visual defects in more than 20 schools in the city of Buraidah and other governorates of Qassim, after a medical examination of the eyes of more than 5,000 male and female students. The study indicated that the prevalence rate of visual defects is 18%among male and female students, and the prevalence rate of uncorrected visual defects is 16%. He pointed out that this rate is considered very high when compared to studies in other countries around the world, as well as the prevalence rate of amblyopia, which is 4%.
To address these vision problems, Dr. Saif Al-Din Rashid, a faculty member in the Optometry Department, presented his research paper outlining a treatment plan for eye diseases in developing countries. The study developed a comprehensive plan for the prevention and treatment of eye diseases, concluding that uncorrected refractive errors are the primary cause of visual impairment among schoolchildren.
The seminar sessions, sponsored by His Excellency Professor Dr. Abdul Rahman bin Hamad Al-Dawood, the University President, and featuring 12 speakers from within and outside the university, discussed a number of important topics related to eye health and safety. The event was held at Hall "B" in the main atrium of the university city, coinciding with World Sight Day, which falls on October 10th each year.
Dr. Sulaiman Al-Dakheel, a faculty member at the college, participated in the seminar with his research paper on myopia control, which is considered one of the most common visual impairments worldwide. He highlighted the growing concern about the increasing prevalence of myopia over the past half-century, noting that both genetic and environmental factors play a significant role in human eye development. Numerous studies have shown the impact of environmental factors, specifically reading, on the onset of myopia.
Dr. Majed Muafa, Director of Optical Clinics, presented through his research paper, statistics on visits to optical clinics for 57 primary schools in the Al-Qassim region. During this period, 10,879 students were examined, and 1,309 students with diagnosed vision problems requiring medical follow-up were monitored at university optical clinics. He also indicated that during the past year, services were provided to five thousand beneficiaries through various community service programs.
Regarding glaucoma, the "blue water," a hidden threat, Dr. Mohammed Al-Luwaimee, a faculty member at the college, spoke out. He emphasized that glaucoma is one of the chronic eye diseases and is known as a group of chronic disorders leading to blindness. It cannot be cured, but rather, the remaining vision after the onset of the disease is preserved. Glaucoma poses a threat to public health as it is one of those diseases that are difficult to diagnose and are often detected in advanced stages.
Dr. Manzoor Qureshi, in turn, answered the question "Why do we care about examining the retina?" by saying: "Early detection of retinal problems helps prevent vision loss, especially since vision lost due to retinal problems may never return. Regular eye retina examinations also help start treatment at the right time before vision loss occurs.".
For his part, Dr. Vishnu Nair spoke about diabetic retinopathy, which is a complication affecting small blood vessels and is a characteristic of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Dr. Godwin Ofonseyen spoke about severe vision impairment, noting that globally, approximately 1.3 billion people live with some form of vision impairment. Regarding distance vision, 188.5 million people suffer from moderate vision impairment, 217 million suffer from severe vision impairment, and 36 million people are blind. Regarding near vision, 826 million people live with near vision impairment.
Globally, the main causes of visual impairment are refractive errors and cataracts. Approximately 80% of all visual impairment globally is avoidable, and the majority of people with visual impairment are over 50 years old.
Dr. Waleed Al-Ghamdi, Head of the Optometry Department at the university, then spoke with his paper titled "Challenges and Aspirations for Community Eye Health." He provided an overview of community eye health in the Kingdom and its positioning in combating blindness and visual impairment globally. He also discussed the necessary priorities to improve eye health and control high rates of visual impairment.
Dr. Shehzad Naru, a visiting professor from Aston University in the UK, spoke about the impact of lifestyle on eye health and unhealthy habits that directly affect eye health, such as poor nutrition and smoking. The study concluded that smoking has a direct impact on the eye, especially on the outer part of the eye and the tear layer that protects the eye. Smoking also affects the eye's adaptive power. The study recommended raising community awareness about the effects of smoking on the eye, as well as consuming sufficient amounts of foods containing Omega-3.
Dr. Yahya Abu Haidar, the National Coordinator of the National Committee to Combat Blindness (NCCB), discussed the establishment of the NCCB and its role in society in his paper titled “Strategies for Combating Blindness in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” He also spoke about charitable organizations related to blindness and their role in supporting the visually impaired, as well as the national indicators for combating blindness issued by the World Health Organization and the necessity of developing plans for their implementation, in addition to the role of all governmental and private entities in implementing the eye health strategy in the Kingdom.
The community eye health seminar concluded with several recommendations, including: activating primary eye healthcare where support and tools are available; granting optometrists and ophthalmologists their full role within the health system to enable them to perform their duties more effectively, especially in primary care centers; redistributing the number of optometrists and ophthalmologists in hospitals and health centers in proportion to the number of patients and visitors in each health facility; and activating screening programs and campaigns for chronic eye diseases, which in turn leads to reducing treatment costs and improving quality of life, one of the most important goals of Vision 2030.
