Africa-Press – Malawi. Eye health professionals in Malawi are raising red flags over the growing use of unsafe and unverified eye treatments, warning that the trend is fueling a rise in cases of avoidable blindness.
Speaking at the 25th Annual General Meeting of the Malawi Optometry Association, Mwachumu Chipala, Compliance Officer at the Medical Council of Malawi, urged the public to seek help only from trained eye specialists.
“One of our biggest challenges is that people are turning to untrained individuals for eye care,” he said.
“Worse still, some are applying unknown substances—especially during outbreaks like pink eye—which is extremely risky. The eye is one of the most delicate organs; once it’s damaged, there’s no replacing it.”
The meeting also emphasized the need for all practitioners to register with authorities and strictly follow the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Act, along with established professional ethics.
Chairperson of the Malawi Optometry Association, Cassim Adams, spotlighted another gap in Malawi’s eye care system—the absence of contact lenses in public hospitals.
“We commend the government for its efforts in providing surgical camps and glasses,” Adams said, “but contact lenses are just as essential, especially for patients recovering from eye injuries.”
Adams, an optometrist based in Mzimba, explained that therapeutic lenses, often called bandage contact lenses, are critical in protecting injured eyes, promoting healing, and enhancing vision—all at once.
In response, the Malawi Optometry Association is calling on the Ministry of Health and development partners to integrate contact lens services into the national health care system, saying this could transform the standard of care for thousands suffering from various eye conditions.
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