NAIROBI, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- An estimated 7.5 million Kenyans are in need of eye care services, an official in the country's Ministry of Health said Thursday.

Michael Gichangi, head of the ophthalmic services unit in the Ministry of Health, said at a briefing in Nairobi, the Kenyan capital, that only about 20 percent of citizens suffering from eye related complications are able to access quality care services.

"The majority of those with eye diseases and conditions are due to age related cataract which is treatable and curable," Gichangi said during commemorations to mark this year's World Sight Day, with a theme of Love Your Eyes.

The Ministry of Health estimates that as many as 250,000 persons are blind in Kenya.

Gichangi said that refractive errors which result in short-sightedness or long-sightedness are also a leading cause of vision impairment, and are managed with spectacles and frequently affect school going children.

"When they are not addressed, the students are not able to access quality schooling," said Gichangi.

He observed that another emerging epidemic among eye diseases is the complications of the non-communicable disease like diabetes and hypertension.

Of the 475,000 persons with diabetes, about 50,000 have complications of diabetic retinopathy that can claim their sight any moment, according to the ministry.

Gichangi said that the psychological, social and economic impacts of loss of sight are far-reaching.

"Once you lose sight or you are blind, one tends to go into denial and depression. This is further worsened by the social stigmatization, and further worsened by the inability to engage in productive economic activities," said Gichangi. Enditem

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