The results of the annual comprehensive survey conducted Ministry of Public Health (MOPH) on a sample of school students for the academic year 2023-2024 showed that the percentage of students suffering from acute impairment decreased by 4 percent, compared to the year 2021-2022.
The annual comprehensive survey showed that 10 percent of school students have acute impairment (less than 6/6), compared to 14 percent during the academic year 2021-2022.
The survey highlighted a vital aspect of children’s health by examining the acuity of the eyesight, emphasizing the important progress towards creating a stronger health future for students in the State of Qatar.
Director of the Department of Non-Communicable Diseases Preventive Programs at MOPH Sheikh Dr. Mohammed Bin Hamad Al-Thani said that the survey was conducted on 99,370 students from 330 government and private schools in the State of Qatar, confirming the cooperation between the Ministries of Public Health and Education and Higher Education in conducti
ng the survey, which serves as an integrated study.
Dr. Mohammed Al-Thani reaffirmed the commitment of the MOPH to prioritize children’s eye health and to integrate the results of the survey into the National Health Strategy and the Public Health Strategy, in the framework of joint cooperation between health and education institutions and parents in order to maintain sight for future generations.
The survey aims to avoid vision impairment and eye laziness and to detect this health problem early. These efforts are part of a public health strategy that aims to maintain students’ eye health and provide a supportive healthy environment in the school community.
Eye laziness is one of the most important complications of vision impairment in children, as it results from an imbalance in the growth of the visual system in one eye and may negatively affect the child’s academic performance and ability to learn. It is therefore recommended that periodic eye exam be conducted and that ophthalmologists’ directives and t
he use of corrective glasses.
Source: Qatar News Agency