Northern Irish eye care professionals optometrist Jonathan Hall and Prof Colin Willoughby deliver first glaucoma laser to Sierra Leone, Africa

Jonathan Hall, a Belfast-based optometrist, has been providing support and training through UK charity Vision Action, to improve eye health and vision in this West African country. He has trained outreach workers to provide eye checks for glaucoma and also to test and provide glasses. Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a vision impairment or blindness, of whom at least one billion have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) glaucoma is the leading cause of irreversible blindness. An estimated 60 million people worldwide have glaucoma, with 8.4 million of those completely blind.

Mr Hall pointed out that glaucoma is more common in people of African descent.

"It has an earlier onset in Africans and is more aggressive in its course. In most of Africa, only about one in 20 of those with the disease are aware, with over 50 per cent being unilaterally blind on presentation.”

He added: “In Sierra Leone access to eye health checks and treatment is challenging as the country is among the poorest nations in the world. Glaucoma is treated with eyedrop medication, but treatment is for life and the cost is out of the reach of most of the 8.6 million inhabitants of Sierra Leone.

Mr Hall managed to obtain a laser used to treat glaucoma from a private clinic in Ireland, which was no longer required. This laser is commonly used in the NHS to control glaucoma but was not available in Sierra Leone.

Jonathan was assisted in establishing the laser treatment in Sierra Leone by Colin Willoughby, a Professor of Ophthalmology at Ulster University and a Consultant Ophthalmic Surgeon at the Belfast HSC Trust who specialises in glaucoma.

The laser can be used to control glaucoma with the patient either not needing medication for many years or reducing the number of eyedrop medications to control their glaucoma. This means access to care for the poorest people in the region.

They visited Connaught Hospital in Sierra Leone to install the laser and teach the local ophthalmologists in its use. This is the main eye care facility in Sierra Leone and is based in the capital, Freetown, which was founded as a home for repatriated former slaves in 1787. Dr Jalikatu Mustapha, the deputy health minister and an ophthalmologist, attended to give her support. She was named an Eye Health Hero by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in 2020, and received a video call from Queen Elizabeth II and the Countess of Wessex to celebrate her achievement.

Feedback is good and the eye team, led by Dr Lloyd Harrison-Williams, are treating glaucoma patients. The outcomes are being assessed and monitored. Jonathan and Colin hope to continue to support eye care in Sierra Leone and have further ideas to develop training and improve the diagnosis and treatment of eye disease.