23rd October 2023- KKM takes great pride in announcing another significant milestone that has firmly established Malaysia's presence on the global stage. The World Health Organization (WHO) has officially unveiled a comprehensive report that serves as a compelling case study, highlighting innovative strategies aimed at mitigating the prevalence of cataract-induced blindness and vision impairment within Malaysia. We are delighted to provide the link to the WHO's official website, where you can gain further insights into this remarkable and successful initiative and access the complete report.
https://www.who.int/westernpacific/news-room/feature-stories/item/innovative-approaches-to-reduce-cataract-induced-blindness-and-vision-impairment-in-malaysia
Cataracts persist as a significant global health challenge, contributing to vision impairment and blindness. The partnership between the Cataract Surgery Centre of the Federal Territory Islamic Religious Council and Selayang Hospital, known as PPKM-HS, has effectively reduced surgical waiting times from 16 weeks to just 2 weeks, resulting in a substantial decrease in complications. Additionally, the implementation of mobile cataract clinics in Sarawak has significantly improved accessibility, screening 22,000 patients and performing 4,155 surgeries between 2013 and 2019. Malaysia is actively seeking further collaboration and support to scale up these initiatives.