Children's Vision Under the Microscope: 19,000 Children Screened in South Khorasan

Birjand – The head of the South Khorasan Welfare Organization announced that 19,000 children aged three to six have been screened for vision problems in the province this year, adding that about 90 percent of the target population has been covered by the program.

According to Mehr reporter, vision is one of the most important tools for learning, knowing the environment, and communicating with the world around children, and timely identification of vision disorders in the first years of life can play an effective role in preventing permanent damage and visual disabilities.

In the meantime, vision screening of children aged three to six provides an important opportunity for early diagnosis of problems such as lazy eye; Problems that can be prevented from progressing and reducing the child's vision if identified on time and proper treatment is started.

Due to the importance of this issue, the continuous implementation of screening programs, the participation of families in the annual visit of children and the follow-up of treatment recommendations are among the effective factors in maintaining the vision health of the future generation.

In this regard, in a conversation with Mahnaz Zal, head of the South Khorasan General Welfare Department, while examining the status of children's vision screening in the province and the coverage statistics of this plan, we have also talked about preventive welfare measures, services provided to people with visual impairments, and the need to adapt urban spaces for the blind.

Mahnaz Zal said in a conversation with Mehr reporter: The diagnosis of visual disability, including low vision and blindness, is done based on specialized indicators and in the disability diagnosis commission of the welfare organization, and after going through these steps, people can benefit from continuous and non-continuous services according to their needs.

Providing preventive services to reduce visual impairments

Head of the General Welfare Department of South Khorasan, referring to the preventive measures of this organization, said: Genetic counseling is one of the important services in the field of disability prevention that people can use before marriage, before pregnancy and during pregnancy.

Zal continued: These counselings help families with the possibility of a genetic background of disability to make more informed decisions about marriage and having children.

Referring to the implementation of research projects in some areas of the province, he said: In some areas of Nehbandan city, investigations have been conducted due to the higher prevalence of certain visual impairments with genetic background and the prevalence of family marriages.

Stating that the evaluation of the effectiveness of these measures takes time, the head of the General Welfare Department of South Khorasan added: Longitudinal studies should be conducted in the coming years to determine the extent of the impact of these programs on reducing visual disabilities.

Vision screening of 19 thousand children in the province

Referring to the implementation of the vision screening plan for children aged three to six, Zal said: South Khorasan is one of the leading provinces in this field and covers about 90% of the target population.

Stating that this year, 19,000 children have been evaluated in the vision screening plan, he said: These children are examined every year from the age of three to six years to identify problems such as lazy eye and refractive errors.

Emphasizing the need for families to visit screening centers annually, he said: "If a child does not have any problems in one year, this does not mean that there is no need for evaluation in the following years, and it is necessary to repeat the screening at each of the ages of three to six years."

The supervisor of the General Welfare Department of South Khorasan noted: Timely diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic intervention can prevent some problems and vision disabilities in the future.

Providing subsistence allowance to 700 people

Describing welfare support services for visually impaired people, Zal said: Out of the total number of people covered, 700 people have received subsistence allowances and currently 2,553 people are pensioners of the organization.

He added: Educational services and tuition assistance for students, transportation assistance, family-oriented nursing services and provision of rehabilitation equipment are among the other services provided to these people.

According to him, currently 27 people with visual impairment receive nursing services at home, and 137 people with severe visual impairment have also received assistance for the cost of sanitary equipment.

Referring to the provision of rehabilitation equipment needed by visually impaired people, Zal said: Glasses, visual aids, Braille devices and educational software are among the facilities that are considered according to the needs of clients and the economic and social conditions of their families.

South Khorasan won the first place in the country in terms of adaptation

Head of the General Welfare Department of South Khorasan, referring to the necessity of adapting the urban space and offices for people with disabilities, said: the Secretariat of Adaptation is located in the Welfare Organization and is headed by the governorate.

He added: "In the past, some institutions thought that the responsibility of adaptation was solely the responsibility of welfare, but now with the increase of awareness and cooperation of the governorate, municipalities and executive bodies, the conditions in this area are improving.

Saying that South Khorasan has won the first place in the country, Zal said: This success is the result of the efforts of various groups and the cooperation of the responsible institutions.

He continued: Adaptation should be taken into consideration both in the interior of government offices and institutions and in the streets and public spaces of the city.

Zal continued: "Despite the measures taken, we are still far from reaching optimal conditions, and it is necessary for some devices in the cities to act more seriously."

Head of the General Welfare Department of South Khorasan, referring to the annual evaluation of the institutions in the field of optimization, said: All executive institutions, even the governorates, are evaluated in this field.

He added: Based on the reports and needs announced by people with disabilities and the blind, Bezesti follows up on access problems in urban spaces, and so far there has been good interaction and cooperation between this organization and municipalities.

Activity of 45 psychological counseling centers in South Khorasan

In another part of this program, referring to the mental health week, Zal said: "The welfare organization is one of the active institutions in the field of mental health and provides various services in the field of prevention and intervention in psychological problems."

He added: Currently, 45 governmental and non-governmental psychological counseling centers are operating in the province and provide counseling services to people at different levels.

The head of the South Khorasan Welfare Department continued: In addition to issuing licenses for counseling centers, this organization also pays counseling subsidies for people who cannot afford the approved tariffs due to financial problems, taking into account the conditions of the clients.

Referring to Behazisti's offline counseling services, he said: 1480 telephone counseling services are also available to people for free so that they can benefit from psychological counseling services if needed.

Zal also stated: For people who are facing chronic and severe psychological disorders and their families are unable to take care of them, care services are also provided in psychiatric care centers.