Yvonne Calls For Tax Waive On Glaucoma Drugs

GHANAIAN ACTRESS Yvonne Nelson has called on government to come to the aid of the glaucoma patients, majority of whom are struggling to get medication.

Glaucoma is an eye defect that causes blindness and the actress has recently launched her Yvonne Nelson Glaucoma Foundation to campaign against the disease.

She said glaucoma drugs are not only becoming scarce but are also not affordable.

She thus asked government to intervene, advocating for a reduction in taxes on drugs, or if possible, allow Glaucoma drugs to be imported tax-free. The result, she argued, would make the drugs available and cheap to more patients.

The leggy actress made the call last week Thursday when she donated GH¢1000 to support the Glaucoma Association of Ghana Fund to help Glaucoma patients afford medication.

This was at a short ceremony held at the offices of Harrison Kofi Abutiate, national president of the Glaucoma Association of Ghana, at Osu in Accra.

“I think government should try as much as possible to cut down tax on medicines, equipments and all other logistics that are needed in the treatment of glaucoma. Otherwise, the country cannot make headway in this area.

It is very important because I can’t imagine myself being blind right now and not seeing anything. It will be the worse condition that anybody has to go through.

You can be fit and have every organ of the body working efficiently but if you are blind, it can destroy your happiness. It is sad,” her manager, Samuel Ato Ashun told BEATWAVES.

He also said Yvonne would not relent in her fight against glaucoma as she would be organizing a number of activities, including an awareness creation walk in some streets of Accra very soon.

Mr. Abutiate, who commended Yvonne Nelson for her kind gesture, said Ghana has one of the highest incidences of glaucoma, disclosing that about six hundred thousand people out there are leaving with the diseases.

20% or half of that figure, according to him, will go blind. He said there is the need to create awareness and organize screenings to detect and prevent the disease, which he noted has been his association’s core values over the years.

“People don’t know, they thought it was like malaria where you have fever, it is not so. With glaucoma, you will not know till it is too late. It is silent, blinding till you lose your sight.”

Mr. Harrison also touched on the call to waive tax on glaucoma drugs, emphasising on equipments as well.