Engaging Faith Based Leaders in the Fight against Glaucoma Related Blindness

Purpose: To determine the role of faith leaders towards reducing glaucoma blindness in Africa.

Methodology: This was a descriptive, cross-sectional study conducted among faith-based leaders in Anambra state. A pretested self-administered, semi-structured questionnaire was distributed among consenting faith-leaders. Responses obtained include biodata of respondents and roles. Data obtained was analyzed using IBM SPSS 23. Statistical significance was set at p˂0.05.

Results: Out of 167 faith leaders who participated, 123 (73.7%) were males, giving a male to female ratio (M: F) of 2.8:1 and a mean age of 47.02 years ± 13.84 SD. Majority of the participants 54.5% were of the catholic extraction while only 1.2% were Sabbatarians and 65% have a 500-capacity congregation. About two-thirds (65.4%) believed that glaucoma could cause blindness and 79.7% have undergone an eye check for glaucoma. Routine eye/health check was reported among 85.8% of respondents as the main indication for eye examination. About half (51.8%) of those yet to have their eyes examined have no special reason while about 80% believed routine eye check is the best way to prevent glaucoma blindness through routine eye checks, with over half (57.1%) willing to participate in prevention campaigns and 60.4% believed church to be the best avenue for this campaign.

Conclusion: The results showed that faith leaders who wield great influence in our environment are willing to participate in campaign against glaucoma blindness in their respective churches.