Uganda may not be able to achieve the goals of Vision 2020  to reduce blindness in the community because of the human resource and infrastructure challenges.

Vision 2020 is a program that aims at ensuring there are no cases of preventable blindness in the country by the year 2020.

Dr. Watmon works on an eye patient (NV photo)

Dr. Ben Watmon the only eye specialist in Acholi region says whereas some of the eye problems are preventable, Vision 2020 program is limited by the few eye specialists and the necessary well-equipped health facilities to provide the required treatment.

Overseeing the Standard Chartered Bank Eye camp in Gulu, Dr Watmon says the increasing demand for eye screening and operations across the country must be accompanied by increased training of eye specialists, provision of the infrastructure, which can be done through private-public partnership.

Considering the high demand for the eye treatment, Standard Chartered Bank Corporate Affairs Manager Herbert Zake, revealed that Bank has allocated 100 million shillings to organize free eye camps across the country.

Zake says working with Sight savers Uganda, the ministry of Health the seeing is believing campaign targets 1000 operations this year alone an exercise that is to be wrapped up in Mulago Hospital.

Because of the Overwhelming demand for the services witnessed at the free eye camps, Zake appealed to individuals and other organizations to join the initiative to avoid preventable blindness.