Vodafone Ghana today announced that it is working in collaboration with Sightsavers and the Ghana Health Service to restore the sight of 2,500 visually impaired people suffering from cataract and trachoma across Ghana. A statement from Vodafone Ghana said “this is as part of our contribution to World Sight Day, set aside by the United Nations (UN) to focus global attention on blindness and visual impairment.” It said the move to pay for the medical and surgical bills of the 2,500 was initiated by Sightsavers and funded by Vodafone Ghana, adding that it was being led by qualified healthcare professionals from the Ghana Health Service (GHS). “The funding provided by Vodafone enabled Sightsavers and the GHS to extend screening and treatment across all the regions from October 10, 2011 till the end of November 2011,” it said. The statement said the team from GHS and Sightsavers have also set up over 80 screening centres across the country, offering free screening and surgeries on patients suffering from cataract and trachoma; two major causes of blindness in Ghana. “Vodafone Ghana’s association with this lifesaving initiative reaffirms its commitment to the well-being of Ghanaians especially economically disadvantaged people who have little or no access to quality healthcare,” the statement said. The statement quoted Head of Corporate Communications at Vodafone Ghana, Carmen Bruce-Annan, as saying Vodafone was delighted to be partnering with Sightsavers and the GHS to give the ‘gift of sight’ to 2,500 visually impaired Ghanaians. “We are passionate about the health of the people in our communities, especially the less privileged sections of the society - eyesight is something that can easily be taken for granted, yet we know that cataract is the leading cause of blindness in our country - we consider it an honour to be in the position to make a real and lasting impact in these patients’ lives’’, she said. She said Vodafone believed every Ghanaian deserved good health and it was committed to making the right partnerships to fulfill the promise of empowering Ghanaians to take control of their health and lead more fulfilled lives. The statement also quoted Country Director of Sightsavers Ghana, Joyce Ashun, as saying Sightsavers wanted to reinforce its belief that no one went blind from avoidable blindness. She noted that it required a collective responsibility and that was why Sightsavers was excited to be working with Vodafone and GHS this year to help restore the sight of many people across the country. The World Health Organization report on blindness indicated that cataract is the leading cause of blindness globally, accounting for between 40 to 50 per cent of all blindness, and it is very common with people above 50 years. In Ghana, the major causes of blindness are cataract refractive errors, which account for 50 per cent of sight impairment and trachoma, 15 per cent, Glaucoma 15 per cent, corneal scars, five per cent and other causes 15 per cent. This year’s World Sight Day under the theme: Reducing Blindness, ‘The Importance of Eye Care in National Development’.