Havana, Cuba.-Seeking to raise awareness on progressive eye diseases and the importance of an early detection, Cuban health institutions celebrate today the International Day of Glaucoma, second cause for blindness.

For this reason, Francisco Fumero, head of the Department of Glaucoma from the Institute of Ophthalmology Ramon Pando Ferrer, told the Prensa Latina news agency that amid other activities on this date, patients will be provided with information on this irreversible chronic disease.

A workshop to update specialists from throughout the country will be held in this institute from March 14th to 16th.

‘One of the main senses of human beings is the sight and if it is completely damaged, the patient will be disabled to develop daily activities, including work’, said Fumero.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), a total of 4.5 million people in the world are affected by glaucoma, while 11 million people will be affected by 2020.