Ukash Manger, Consultant Optometrist at Asgar Optometrist’s Lautoka branch, is urging parents, teachers and caregivers to be vigilant for signs of amblyopia — commonly known as lazy eye — and to prioritise early eye examinations for young children. In an update for the community, Manger stressed that timely detection and treatment can prevent long-term vision loss and support a child’s ability to learn and develop.
Amblyopia arises when one eye becomes weaker not because of a structural defect but because the brain begins to favour the other eye, gradually ignoring input from the poorer-seeing eye. Left uncorrected during the critical years of visual development, the affected eye can lose sight permanently. Manger warned that the condition is often subtle: many children do not complain because they simply adapt to poorer vision in one eye.
Common causes include eye misalignment (strabismus), a large difference in refractive error between the two eyes, cataracts or injury. Parents and caregivers should watch for warning signs such as an eye that wanders inward or outward, frequent squinting, persistent headaches or eye strain, poor depth perception (for example difficulty catching a ball or judging distances), head tilting, or a child who bumps into objects more often than their peers. Because these signs can be missed in routine observation, Manger emphasised regular professional screening.
Treatment for amblyopia focuses on strengthening the weaker eye and encouraging the brain to use it. Options commonly used include corrective spectacles, occlusion therapy (patching the stronger eye) and vision therapy exercises tailored to the child’s needs. When detected early, many children show significant improvement and some recover normal vision. Manger advised parents that delayed diagnosis reduces the likelihood of full recovery, underscoring the importance of eye checks before and during the early school years.
School eye screening programs and community outreach play a vital role in identifying children with vision problems who may not otherwise be seen by an eye-care professional. Manger called on schools in Lautoka and across Fiji to ensure students receive screening, and on health providers to extend services into communities so children who are not yet enrolled or who miss routine checks are not left behind.
The appeal for early detection is also practical: while many amblyopia cases can be managed locally with spectacles and therapy, more complex eye conditions sometimes require specialised surgical procedures not available in Fiji. A recent local case in which a family sought fundraising help for overseas eye surgery illustrates the potential gap in specialised services and the extra burden such referrals can place on families. Early identification and treatment of common childhood vision problems reduce the risk that a child will need tertiary care abroad.
Manger urged parents to arrange a comprehensive eye examination when children start school and to follow up if any warning signs appear. Protecting a child’s vision, he said, supports not only sight but confidence, learning and overall quality of life — and a simple timely test can make a life-changing difference.
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