Throughout this week (March 12th – March 18th) doctors around the world will be executing activities to bring awareness and provide early detection of an eye disease called Glaucoma.

Dubbed World Glaucoma Week, the disease is known to cause damage to the eye’s Optic Nerve.

According to the American Academy of Ophthalmology, Glaucoma “usually happens when fluid builds up in the front part of [the] eye. That extra fluid increases the pressure in [the] eye, damaging the optic nerve.” If left untreated it may cause irreversible blindness.

In St. Kitts, doctors and staff of the Ophthalmic Unit from the JNF General Hospital visited the Tyrrell-Williams Primary School in Old Road to issue free glaucoma screenings to all staff and students.