President Al-Shifa Trust Maj General (R) Rehmat Khan on Monday said that vision impairment and eye disease were major problems and proper public health interventions can reduce the prevalence of blindness in Pakistan.
Addressing the first international conference on Public Health, he said that public health was an excellent tool for fighting blindness which must be utilized optimally.
The current annual cost of vision impairment and eye disease in the world is hundreds of billions of dollars, including the impact of lost productivity, diminished quality of life, increased depression and others, he added.
Maj General (R) Rehmat Khan said that professionals in public health could educate the masses on the importance of eye care and ways to maintain good eye health. The education can include information on proper nutrition, regular eye checkups, and ways to protect the eyes from injury.
He said that research by Public Health professionals about the prevalence of eye diseases and conditions in the population could help eye hospitals and NGOs to develop prevention and treatment strategies.
Dean of PIO, Prof. Dr Wajid Ali Khan, Advisor to the HEC Chairman Awais Ahmed, Dr Zahid A. Butt from the University of Waterloo, Canada, Prof. Tokie Anme from Tsukuba University Japan, Babar Tanseem Sheikh, Director of John Snow International, Mrs Tahira Ammad, Chairperson of Special Pakistan. Dr Ayesha Babar Kawish, HOD of Al-Shifa School of Public Health (ASOPH), Dr Ahmed Abdullah, Associate Professor at ASOPH, Dr Quratulain Waheed, Senior Lecturer at ASOPH Dr Ammara Ajmal, Assistant Professor at ASOPH contributed their expertise at the discussions.
The conference provided a unique opportunity for participants to engage with experts from diverse fields within public health.
The conference fostered collaboration and knowledge-sharing among experts through presentations, discussions, and networking events, paving the way for future advancements in public health research and practice.
