By Buertey Francis BORYOR
The Quartey-Papafio Medical Foundation (QPMF), in collaboration with Dr. Agarwal Eye Hospital, marked this year’s International Women’s Day (IWD), by offering free eye screening to market women in Accra.
Speaking after the event, Sophia Obeng Aboagye, Assistant Managing Director of QPMF, said the initiative was designed to support hardworking market women who often neglect their eye health due to their busy schedules.
“Women do a lot of work, especially in the markets, where they are exposed to dust and particles. Many of them do not have time to check their eyes. So, we decided offer them free eye screening on this special day,” she said.
She highlighted the importance of good vision in the daily lives and businesses of market women, stressing that losing one’s eyesight could affect livelihoods.
“When you lose an eye, you lose everything. Women take care of men, children, and the elderly. If they have eye problems, it affects their entire household. This screening helps detect issues early before they get worse,” she elaborated.
Also, she urged other organisations to support women’s health beyond IWD.
“We encourage organisations to step in and support women’s health in different ways. At QPMF, we focus on medical care, including support for Korle-Bu Teaching Hospital,” Mrs. Aboagye added.
Furthermore, she stressed the need to empower women through education and skills training.
“Women should not feel limited to the market. They can further their education through adult learning programs or even take up other roles like becoming an MC. When you empower a woman, you empower the whole society,” she emphasised.
While acknowledging government efforts in women’s development, she urged stronger collaboration between same and private organisations to empower women, particularly in male-dominated fields.
Moreover, Mrs. Aboagye hinted that QPMF plans to make the free eye screening an annual event and expand it to other regions, calling on donors and sponsors to help reach more women.
“We started this four years ago, and we want to do more. But we need sponsorship and support to take it beyond Accra,” she appealed.
Echoing this concern, Mr. Afari Aggrey, Business Development Manager for Dr. Agarwal Eye Hospital, pointed out that many women ignore eye problems until they become severe.
“Women focus on taking care of their families and businesses but forget about their own health, including their eyes. Many only seek help when they start experiencing serious problems, which is often too late and very expensive to treat,” he explained.
He added that eye health is not given the same attention as other illnesses like stomachaches or headaches.
“Most people do not check their eyes unless they feel pain. But eye diseases develop slowly over time, and by the time symptoms appear, the damage may already be serious,” he said.
Common eye problems found during screening
He revealed that allergies and infections, especially conjunctivitis, were the most common issues detected among the market women.
“We saw many cases of eye infections, likely caused by dust and poor hygiene. Conditions like cataracts and pterygium- growths on the eye, were less common but still present,” he noted.
To ensure proper treatment, he said Agarwal Eye Hospital has offered free follow-up consultations at their facility, where the women can see an eye specialist for further care.
Market women neglecting eye health
He admitted that the country’s market women do not prioritise their eye health, explaining that some of them still rely on home remedies like shea butter and even breast milk for eye infections, which can worsen the problem.
“By the time they finally visit a hospital, the condition has often reached a dangerous stage,” he said.
He urged the women to take eye health as seriously as other parts of their well-being.
The market women also expressed gratitude for the kind gesture, with some admitting it was their first-ever eye checkup.
They called for more of such initiatives to help them stay healthy while running their businesses.
