Speech by Dr Amy Khor, Minister of State (Health), at the Lions World Sight Day 2011

09 Oct 2011
By Dr Amy Khor
Venue: Eunos Community Club

Introduction

1     It is my pleasure to be here with you today at the launch of the Lions World Sight Day 2011 jointly organised by the Lions Clubs, Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC) and the Eunos Community Club (Eunos CC).

World Sight Day

2     The World Health Organisation (WHO) has dedicated the ‘World Sight Day’ as a day to raise awareness on blindness, preventing visual impairment and restoring sight . The aim of today’s event is to promote public awareness of common blinding conditions such as diabetes and the importance of preventive eye care.

Diabetes: Prevalence and Health Threats

3     Diabetes is a medical condition in which the blood sugar level remains persistently higher than normal. This may be due in part to ageing, sedentary lifestyles and unhealthy diets.

4     Diabetes occurs mostly in older adults and is associated with obesity. When this condition is poorly controlled, it can lead to serious consequences like blindness, heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure. It thus becomes a psycho-social burden for both the patient and their dependant family members.

5     In Singapore, diabetes was one of the top ten leading causes of death in 2010. The National Health Survey (2010) showed that the prevalence of diabetes among adults between 18 and 69 years crept upwards from 8% in 2004 to 11% in 2010. Diabetes prevalence increases sharply with age, from less than 5% of adults aged under 40 years to 12% of those aged 40 to 49 years, 19% of adults aged 50 to 59 years and 29% among those aged 60 to 69 years.

Diabetes and the Eye: Diabetic Retinopathy

6     Diabetes is one of the leading causes of visual impairment and blindness in many developed countries . It is responsible for a spectrum of eye complications, of which the most serious is diabetic retinopathy; which has resulted in about 2 million blind and about 28 million cases of low vision worldwide.

7     Diabetic Retinopathy occurs when diabetes damages the tiny blood vessels in the retina, the light-sensitive layer of nerve cells at the back of the eye, thus leading to vision loss. If this condition is left untreated and worsens, glaucoma – another condition that leads to blindness - can develop.

Prevention, Early Detection & Management

8     Diabetes is a life-long disease. What can we do to reduce the burden of diabetes? Firstly, we should try to reduce the risk factors of diabetes. For people with diabetes, we should try to delay the onset of complications, where possible. These include modifying our lifestyles and behaviours, such as staying active, eating healthily, quitting smoking and alcohol drinking and also going for health screening regularly.

9     Screening is an important tool for early detection of diabetic retinopathy for people with diabetes and also for other common vision disorders for the elderly, such as under-corrected refractive errors, cataract, glaucoma and age-related macular degeneration.

10   However, health screening is just a starting point; subsequent follow-ups, proper management and appropriate treatment of the detected conditions is vital as well.

Strengthening Community Facilities and Support

11   I am delighted that the members of the Lions Clubs of Singapore have taken the initiative to organise the annual Lions World Sight Day in collaboration with its partners. The Lions World Sight Day is a global vision initiative sponsored by Lions Clubs International and has been successfully organised in Singapore for the past two years, reaching out to more and more Singapore residents each year.

12   Eye care professionals such as eye doctors, ophthalmic nurses and para-medical staff from the organising institutions have all come together to educate the public on the importance of having regular eye examinations and encourage them to take charge of their own health.

13   The support and involvement of the community is also important in empowering our seniors to adopt a healthier lifestyle. To achieve this, the Wellness Programme at Eunos CC has rolled out a series of activities to further engage the senior residents here and help them to be more socially and physically active.

14   I encourage the public, especially the at-risk population, to attend the eye screenings and also enjoy all the activities held here, today. As the saying goes, ‘Prevention is better than Cure’! I wish you good health and a fruitful Sunday.

15   Thank you.