{"id":9378,"date":"2026-08-19T12:53:45","date_gmt":"2026-08-19T07:08:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/?p=9378"},"modified":"2026-08-19T12:53:48","modified_gmt":"2026-08-19T07:08:48","slug":"awareness-of-glaucoma-in-nepal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/?p=9378","title":{"rendered":"Awareness of Glaucoma in Nepal"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Dr. Miraj Pokharel\u00a0
<\/strong>He is a glaucoma specialist and ophthalmic surgeon serving as the Head of the Glaucoma Department at Mechi Eye Hospital, Birtamod, Nepal. He has established himself as one of Nepal’s emerging leaders in the field of glaucoma. Dr. Pokharel has been at the forefront of introducing and promoting Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) in Nepal. His expertise encompasses a wide range of modern glaucoma procedures, including Gonioscopy-Assisted Transluminal Trabeculotomy (GATT), High-Frequency Deep Sclerotomy (HFDS), Kahook Dual Blade (KDB) goniotomy, Tanito Microhook Trabeculotomy, and Bent Ab Interno Needle Goniectomy (BANG). As an Executive Member of the Glaucoma Society of Nepal, Dr. Pokharel is committed to strengthening glaucoma services, promoting collaborative research, and increasing public awareness about the importance of early detection and treatment of glaucoma. Dr. Miraj Pokharel continues to work towards his vision of making advanced glaucoma care more accessible while mentoring the next generation of ophthalmologists.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Glaucoma is one of the important causes of irreversible blindness globally and represents a substantial public health challenge in Nepal. Characterised by progressive optic neuropathy and irreversible retinal ganglion cell loss, glaucoma is particularly insidious because it frequently remains asymptomatic until advanced stages, when significant visual impairment has already occurred. Consequently, it has aptly earned the epithet, the \u201csilent thief of sight.\u201d Despite remarkable advancements in diagnostic modalities and therapeutic interventions, inadequate public awareness continues to impede timely diagnosis and effective disease management in Nepal.

Over the past few decades, Nepal has achieved commendable success in combating avoidable blindness through comprehensive cataract programmes and community-based ophthalmic services. Nevertheless, glaucoma has not received the much needed attention within national eye health initiatives. The absence of symptoms during the early stages, coupled with limited understanding of the disease among the general population, often leads to delayed presentation, advanced optic nerve damage, and irreversible visual disability. This disparity underscores the urgent necessity for comprehensive awareness strategies aimed at promoting early detection and lifelong surveillance.

The prevailing level of glaucoma awareness in Nepal remains suboptimal, particularly in rural and geographically isolated communities where accessibility to specialised ophthalmic services is constrained. Socioeconomic disparities, inadequate health literacy, limited availability of glaucoma specialists, and insufficient screening opportunities collectively contribute to the underdiagnosis of the disease. Furthermore, misconceptions regarding ocular health, dependence on symptomatic presentation before seeking medical attention, and poor adherence to long-term pharmacological therapy further exacerbate disease progression and visual morbidity.

Enhancing public awareness is arguably the most cost-effective and sustainable strategy for mitigating glaucoma-related blindness. Individuals must recognise that glaucoma can progress silently despite apparently normal vision and that irreversible optic nerve damage can be substantially minimised through early diagnosis and appropriate intervention. Comprehensive eye examinations should be strongly advocated for individuals above the age of 40 years, those with a positive family history of glaucoma, patients with diabetes mellitus, individuals receiving prolonged corticosteroid therapy, and those with high myopia or other recognised risk factors. Moreover, systematic screening of first-degree relatives should be actively encouraged, given their significantly elevated lifetime risk of developing glaucoma.

A multifaceted approach is indispensable for improving glaucoma awareness throughout Nepal. National awareness campaigns utilising television, radio, digital media, and social networking platforms should disseminate evidence-based educational messages highlighting the asymptomatic nature of glaucoma and the importance of periodic ocular examinations. Community outreach initiatives, mobile screening camps, and health education programmes conducted in local languages can effectively extend these messages to underserved populations. World Glaucoma Week provides an invaluable platform for coordinated public engagement, advocacy, and opportunistic screening activities.
Healthcare professionals possess a pivotal responsibility in fostering glaucoma awareness. Ophthalmologists, optometrists, ophthalmic assistants, nurses, and primary healthcare providers should consistently educate patients regarding the chronic nature of glaucoma, emphasise lifelong adherence to treatment, and reinforce the necessity of regular follow-up. Opportunistic screening during routine ophthalmic consultations and robust referral pathways between primary healthcare facilities and tertiary eye centres can substantially enhance early case detection and continuity of care.
From a policy perspective, glaucoma should be accorded greater prominence within Nepal’s national blindness prevention strategies. Strengthening glaucoma services at peripheral eye centres, expanding access to advanced diagnostic technologies, integrating teleophthalmology into routine clinical practice, and establishing structured family screening programmes could significantly improve disease detection rates. Collaboration among governmental agencies, academic institutions, professional organisations, non-governmental organisations, and community leaders will be instrumental in implementing sustainable awareness initiatives that are culturally appropriate and geographically inclusive.
In conclusion, glaucoma remains a formidable yet frequently under-recognised cause of irreversible blindness in Nepal. The persistent deficiency in public awareness continues to facilitate delayed diagnosis, advanced disease presentation, and preventable visual disability. Strengthening glaucoma awareness through sustained public education, accessible screening programmes, early diagnosis, and integrated healthcare delivery should constitute a national priority. A coordinated, multidisciplinary, and evidence-driven approach will not only reduce the burden of glaucoma-related blindness but also preserve visual function, enhance quality of life, and contribute meaningfully to Nepal’s long-term vision health objectives.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Dr. Miraj Pokharel\u00a0He is a glaucoma specialist and ophthalmic surgeon serving as the Head of the Glaucoma Department at Mechi Eye Hospital, Birtamod, Nepal. He has established himself as one of Nepal’s emerging leaders in the field of glaucoma. Dr. Pokharel has been at the forefront of introducing and promoting Minimally Invasive Glaucoma Surgery (MIGS) …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":110,"featured_media":9380,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[95,39,105,42],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-9378","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","","category-disease","category-feature","category-global-health","category-in-the-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/medicosnext.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/doctor-testing-patient-eyesight-scaled.jpg?fit=1703%2C2560&ssl=1","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9378","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/110"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=9378"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9378\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":9381,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/9378\/revisions\/9381"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/9380"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=9378"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=9378"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/medicosnext.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=9378"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}