<<Print>>

A preliminary study conducted by the Driver and Vehicle Vehicle Licensing Authority (DVLA) indicates that a quarter of those tested are either at an advanced stage of glaucoma or have severe symptoms.

Out of the 259 applicants tested, 82 of them, representing 31.7 per cent, had issues with glaucoma.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the authority, Mr Kwasi Agyeman Busia, said the situation posed a threat to road safety.

According to Ghana Glaucoma Association figures, an estimated 700,000 Ghanaians are living with glaucoma, a disease of the eye which has been described as the second largest cause of irreversible or incurable blindness globally.

Out of the number, 60,000 have already gone permanently blind.

“People with visual field loss from glaucoma may be slower to anticipate and respond to changes in road conditions. They may have difficulty matching speed when changing lanes and keeping in their lanes, especially when navigating curves,” Mr Busia said at the opening of the new DVLA office at Tarkwa in the Western Region.

To curtail the situation, he said the authority was considering a proposal to provide testing centres across the country to assist clients to test their eyes for glaucoma and other diseases.