Kota Kinabalu: More than 12 per cent of students in Sabah failed vision screening tests last year, said State Health Director Dr William Gotulis.
He said of the number, only 40.5 per cent attended follow-up appointments with optometry officers for further examination.
“This situation shows the need to strengthen efforts to raise public awareness on the importance of eye health care and early treatment.
“We know that most vision problems can be prevented or treated earlier if people undergo regular eye examinations.
“Conditions such as short-sightedness, lazy eye and chronic eye diseases often do not show symptoms at an early stage until they reach a more serious level.
“Unfortunately, many people still wait until their condition becomes severe before seeking examination.
“This attitude must change because vision loss can be prevented with early treatment,” he said while officiating the State-Level World Optometry Day Celebration 2026 at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital, here, Friday.
William added that proactive, integrated and community-focused approaches are necessary to ensure no one is left behind in receiving quality eye care services.
“In Sabah, factors such as geography, access to healthcare services and levels of health literacy affect early detection and follow-up treatment for vision problems.
“National data shows that uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts remain the main contributors to vision impairment.
“In addition, the increasing cases of myopia (short-sightedness) among children and teenagers are also becoming a growing concern,” he said.
He added that eye health issues remain a public health challenge globally and nationally.
“A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that 2.2 billion people worldwide suffer from vision problems.
“About 80 per cent of these cases can be prevented or treated, with uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts among the main causes,” he added.
Meanwhile, the State-Level World Optometry Day celebration served as a platform to recognise the important role of the optometry profession in the public healthcare system.
Also launched was the e-book “Tentang Mata”, a digital health education initiative developed by optometry officers from the Ministry of Health (MOH) in Sabah and the Federal Territory of Labuan.
Also present were Queen Elizabeth Hospital Director Datuk Dr Abd Kahar Abd Asis, MOH Head of Optometry Profession Nazirin Arsad, Head of Ophthalmology Services and Department of Ophthalmology at HQE Dr Sheena Mary Alexander and Sabah Head of Optometry Services Diana Mohamed.
