By Sola Ogundipe,

The gift of sight is precious and thousands of people the world over are having their sight restored through cornea transplants  every year.

However, since the first successful cornea transplant was reported in Olmütz, Moravia, (Czech Republic) in December 1905, the demand for corneas has increased drastically.

Thousands of people donate their corneas after their death, but there is a chronic shortage in countries like Nigeria where  a significant number of  visual impairment cases is due to corneal blindness – a condition that is reversible through cornea transplantation, also known as keratoplasty.

“Cornea transplants are successful sight-saving operations, with about 95 percent of grafts functioning after one year. More people could benefit from sight-saving transplants if more corneas were available,” said the Managing Director, The Eye Bank for Restoring Sight, Dr Mosunmade Faderin-Omotosho.

She spoke in Lagos recently during a special breakfast meeting with the Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo,  to assist cornea blind Nigerians restore their sight.

“Those who suffer from corneal blindness can have their sight restored if they can receive a healthy cornea from donors. As individuals, we can sign written permission for our corneas to be harvested at death, in order to restore the sight of a living blind person,” Faderin-Omotosho stated.

In her preentation, she explained that  cornea transplant is very safe and effective. “We do not do tissue typing for corneas even abroad. There are no blood vessels in the cornea and that is why rejection rate is very low.

“You want to be sure that the cornea is from a healthy person. The recipient must also be in good health. He or she can also donate later because later on the cornea heals and all that is left is just see a line.”

Also speaking, Eye Bank Ambassador, Mrs. Dakore Akande, urged more Nigerians to pledge their corneas.

“It is necessary to help somebody who is blind to see. To be able to donate your cornea is really a great legacy. I know it is tough, but we just have to be our brothers’ keeper and not just think about preserving ourselves.”