Primary Health Care Corporation (PHCC) has concluded a vaccination campaign against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis scheduled every year, in co-ordination with the Ministry of Public Health.

The School Health Department vaccinated 5,359 students from government high schools as part of the campaign.

This vaccination is considered an effective dose against diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

The Community Medicine Consultant and the Head of School Health Department Dr Layla al-Dahnaim, said that the vaccination rate for this year rose to 61%, with 5,359 students vaccinated in the eight-day long campaign in 62 secondary schools (32 for boys and 30 for girls).

Al-Dahnaim added that this increase reflects the efforts of the School Health Department and the awareness campaign preceding the vaccination campaign, where students and parents were contacted and encouraged to benefit from the vaccination through lectures provided by the school health nurses and awareness messages launched by PHCC through local newspapers and meetings with media, and this contributed to raise awareness of the importance of vaccination.

Al-Dahnaim explained that PHCC sent 50 doctors to be present in schools during the vaccination campaign to check on students before vaccination and to deal with emergency cases if they occur. In addition, 150 nurses also participated in the campaign.

Al-Dahnaim called on those who missed the campaign to go to PHCC health centres to get vaccinated, pointing out that receiving the vaccination is a condition for admission to universities.

*World Glaucoma Week

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH ), in collaboration with the Hamad Medical Corporation, Primary Health Care Corporation, and Qatar Red Crescent will organise a number of events starting from today to celebrate the World Glaucoma Week, under the theme "Protect and check your eyes from Glaucoma ".

Head of Non-Communicable Diseases Section at MoPH, Dr Kholoud al-Mutawa, said that the Glaucoma Week aims to shed light on the importance of eye diseases that cause blindness, especially glaucoma, the first cause of blindness in Qatar for people over the age of 50 years.

If left untreated, most types of glaucoma progress without warning, towards gradually worsening visual damage and may lead to blindness.

Once incurred, visual damage is mostly irreversible, and this has led to glaucoma being described as the "silent blinding disease." she added, confirming that Early detection is the only way to detect the disease, it is important to have periodic eye tests.

For his part, Dr Shadi al-Ashwal, ophthalmologist at the MoPH said the most important factors that increase the chances of getting claucoma are for persons over the age of 40 years, and if there is an infection in the history of the family, or the incidence of diabetes.

He pointed out that in March each year, the Ministry of Public Health organises a free glaucoma screening campaign and visits to various government agencies and institutions to promote awareness aimed at eye health and prevention of blinding diseases, awareness booklets, brochures and educational video are distributed in all PHC centres and Qatar Red Crescent.

Glaucoma occurs as a result of high eye pressure, which leads to damage to the optic nerve.

However, there are also other causes which are not associated with high eye pressure but can be associated with certain disorders in the optic nerve.

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