In 2024, almost 120 people in Mozambique will suffer irreversible blindness as a result of an outbreak of conjunctivitis, Ligia Munguambe, head of the National Ophthalmology Program of the Ministry of Health, told Luce on Monday.
“A total of 195 people developed serious eye complications, primarily related to self-medication and application of toxic substances to the eyes,” the person in charge said, noting that patients resorted to consuming lemon, urine, ointments and various plants to treat conjunctivitis.
The head of the National Eye Program added that of the 119 people who developed irreversible blindness, 41 people became blind in both eyes and 78 developed partial blindness.
According to Ligia Munguambe, during the conjunctivitis outbreak, from February to May this year, 68,400 cumulative cases of the disease were recorded: “however, it has been more than two months since we reported cases of haemorrhagic conjunctivitis in health facilities.”
The president of the Confederation of Economic Associations of Mozambique (CTA), Agostinho Vuma, warned on March 22 in Maputo that the outbreak of conjunctivitis that has hit several regions of the country is affecting the productivity of companies.
“The outbreak of pink eye is impacting productivity. Companies are laying off affected staff who are home for more than 15 days, which is impacting productivity,” Vuma said, speaking at the first regular plenary meeting of the Labour Party Advisory Committee.
Author: Lusa
Source: CM Jornal
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