Childhood squint (strabismus) in Afghanistan

 

 Written by: Waheeda Sabir

More Afghan mothers take care of their kids’ eyes but some children suffer different types of eyes diseases. One of them is childhood squint.

The writer/producer has talked to some residents of Kabul, Parwan, Khost and Bamyan provinces and with a physician in Aman Eye Hospital in Kabul city about this disease.

Humaira, a resident of Bamyan province says that she was not able to see directly to an object and neither she was able to see anything from a small distance.

Nooria, a resident of Qarabagh district of Kabul province says that her brother’s eyes are squinty and watery and get red and he has a problem with his vision.

Doctor Khoshal Aman, an ophthalmologist at Aman Eyes Hospital in Kabul city says:

Squint is an eye condition, where the eyes do not look in the same direction. Whilst one eye looks forwards to focus on an object, the other eye turns either inwards, outwards, upwards or downwards. This occurs most often when a child is focusing on distant objects, If not treated on time, the patients might lose their eyes sight.

The Causes:

Yaqoot Shah, a resident of Bagrami district of Kabul province says that the squint is a ‌genitical disease, if a mother suffers from squint, her child might have the same problem.

Razia, a resident of Kabul city doesn’t know anything about squint.

Doctor Aman says:

A squint is where one of your eyes points in a different direction from the other eye.

The image that forms in one eye does not form in the other eye and it slows down into the laziness (Amblyopia)  of the eyes, which means that the child's vision is reduced and if not treated on time, it might cause the blindness of the child.

How people treat this disease?

Sherin Agha Ghorzang, a resident of Qarabagh district says:

My brother was suffering from squint from childhood but we did not treat him at that time and later he was not able to see anything.  Recently he had a surgical operation and now he could see everything.

A mother from Kabul city says that her daughter is 6 years old and suffers from the squint. The doctor advised her a pair of eyeglasses and now she is better.

Doctor Aman says: there are two types of squint treatment:

The first one is treated by using eyeglasses and the second one is treated by eye surgical operation. besides these two, we recommend eyes exercises according to the age of the child.