On the eve of World Sight Day, celebrated on October 9 under the theme "Love your eyes", the Directorate for Disease Control, through the National Eye Health Promotion Program (PNPSO), organized a preparatory workshop this Tuesday, October 7, 2025, at the National Health and Social Education and Information Service (SNEISS). The objective is to raise awareness on the prevention of visual impairment and blindness.

To this end, the coordinator of the PNPSO, Dr Moctar Dieng Badiane revealed that the prevalence of blindness in Senegal is estimated at 1.42%, cataracts being the leading cause with nearly 35,000 cases recorded and 24,000 new cases each year.

Thanks to the joint efforts of the Ministry of Health and its partners, 20,000 to 25,000 cataract surgeries are performed annually.

For his part, Sightsavers Country Director, Cheikh Ibrahima Seck, reaffirmed his organization's commitment to supporting the Ministry of Health in building the capacity of eye health personnel and improving the technical platform.

Ophthalmologist Dr. Badiane called on people to adopt good behaviors to preserve their vision.

"You should consult a specialist regularly, avoid screens for children under the age of 3 and agree to surgery in case of cataracts," the specialist urges.

At the same time, he also warned against false advertisements for traditional treatments circulating on social media. Dr. Badiane clarified that cataract treatment is exclusively surgical and not based on misleading advertisements. According to him, there is an urgent need to regulate this sector.

To mark this day, a cataract surgery campaign is planned for October 9 at Ndamatou Hospital, followed by free consultations for autistic children on October 11.