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Despite the availability of preventive measures and effective treatments, avoidable blindness remains a major public health challenge in Nigeria due to a number of factors. BLESSING OKOLA in this report examines those factors.
Speaking on the occasion of this year’s World Sight Day, the Founder and President of Amen Health Care and Empowerment Foundation, Multiple Chief Rita Aizehi Aimiuwu Oguntoyinbo, said millions of people, particularly those living in rural communities, continue to suffer from vision-threatening conditions.
According to her, those conditions include cataracts, uncorrected refractive errors, and neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), as well as trachoma and onchocerciasis, commonly known as river blindness.
Oguntoyinbo stressed that most conditions responsible for visual impairment are preventable or treatable when detected early and managed appropriately, underscoring the need for increased public awareness and improved access to essential eye care services.
She called for intensified efforts to prevent avoidable blindness and expand access to affordable eye care, particularly in rural and underserved communities where healthcare facilities and specialist services may be difficult to access.
According to her, vision is essential to human dignity, quality of life, education and economic empowerment, noting that visual impairment can significantly affect people’s ability to perform daily activities, pursue educational opportunities and achieve economic independence.
Interventions
She, however, expressed optimism that sustained interventions and coordinated global efforts would accelerate progress towards the elimination of neglected tropical diseases responsible for visual impairment, particularly trachoma and onchocerciasis, by 2030.
Oguntoyinbo identified sustained partnerships, community-level outreach programmes, mass drug administration and targeted surgical interventions as critical strategies for reducing the burden of avoidable blindness.
She noted that these interventions have contributed to efforts to address eye health challenges, particularly in underserved communities where access to essential healthcare services remains limited.
He also highlighted the contributions of frontline health personnel and Community Directed Distributors (CDDs), whose activities help deliver essential healthcare interventions to communities, especially those with limited access to formal health facilities.
Also, the Head of Global Partnerships, Farhana Rehman-Furs, Peek Vision, a global organisation that uses technology to improve access to eye care, said improving access to eye care could deliver benefits beyond health, particularly in education, livelihoods and general wellbeing.
According to her, good vision plays a significant role in children’s ability to learn, adults’ capacity to work and individuals’ overall quality of life.
She described Nigeria’s leadership in promoting eye health as a “national priority” as an important step towards ensuring that more people can access essential vision services.
According to her, Peek Vision is working with the National Eye, Ear and Sensory Health Programme and its non-governmental organisation partners to bring vision screening closer to schools and communities.
She explained that the organisation uses specialised software and data insights to support vision screening, connect people who need treatment to appropriate care services and strengthen the delivery of eye health interventions.
Rehman-Furs noted that the use of technology and reliable data could help identify people with vision problems earlier, improve referrals and support more effective planning and delivery of eye care services.
She emphasised that bringing vision screening closer to communities would help address barriers that prevent people, particularly children and residents of underserved areas, from accessing timely eye examinations and treatment.
The expert stressed the importance of collaboration among government agencies, healthcare professionals, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders in building sustainable eye health services.
She said collective efforts were necessary to ensure that people with vision problems are identified early and connected to appropriate care, thereby reducing the impact of avoidable visual impairment on their lives.
In his view, the Senior Lead at the Helen Keller International (HKI), Nigeria Country Office, Aliyu Mohammed, said addressing the challenge of visual impairment requires sustained commitment from governments, healthcare professionals, development partners and other stakeholders to strengthen eye health programmes and expand access to essential services.
He urged stakeholders to prioritise preventive measures, raise public awareness about eye health and ensure that vulnerable populations, particularly those in underserved communities, are not left behind.
Mohammed stressed that access to quality vision care should be recognised as an essential component of healthcare, noting that protecting sight can improve individual well-being and create opportunities for better educational and economic outcomes.
He expressed concern that millions of people worldwide continue to experience avoidable visual impairment and blindness due to inadequate access to quality eye care services.
He also commended healthcare professionals, development partners, civil society organisations and other stakeholders working to prevent blindness and improve eye health outcomes in communities across the world.
Similarly, the Chief Medical Director of National Eye Centre, Kaduna, Dr. Amina Hassan Wali, urged Nigerians to prioritise eye health through regular eye examinations, early presentation for treatment and healthy lifestyle choices to prevent avoidable blindness.
She said, “Early detection and timely treatment of eye conditions are essential to preventing avoidable vision loss, urging Nigerians not to ignore symptoms or delay seeking professional medical attention when they experience eye problems.”
She added that the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, as the apex government hospital for eye care services, remains committed to delivering excellent clinical services, strengthening human resource capacity, advancing research and innovation, and expanding access to eye care, particularly for underserved communities.
She emphasised that greater public awareness and regular eye examinations would help promote early diagnosis and appropriate treatment, thereby reducing the risk of preventable blindness.
Wali urged Nigerians to make eye health a priority, stressing that no one should be left behind in efforts to prevent avoidable blindness and ensure access to appropriate eye care.
She called on individuals and communities to embrace the message of the year’s theme by taking practical steps to protect their vision.
“Let us work together to ensure that no one is left behind and that everyone can enjoy the gift of sight. Let us all love our eyes and make eye health a priority,” she said.
FG’s action
Meanwhile, the federal government reaffirmed its commitment to reducing avoidable blindness, targeting 25, 000 free cataract surgeries nationwide by the end of 2027 to improve access to quality eye care and restore sight to thousands of Nigerians.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, who was represented by the Director of the E-Health Division, Dr. Doris Afam Aneke, said the government considered eye health a public health and development priority because of its implications for education, productivity, independence and overall quality of life.
He highlighted key interventions by the federal government and its partners, including the training of more than 3,000 healthcare workers across 16 states and the activation of over 1,400 primary healthcare centres to provide primary eye care services.
The minister also disclosed that more than 1.5 million pairs of reading spectacles had been distributed across the 16 states under the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN), also known as Jajibola 2.0.
According to him, preparations are at an advanced stage to extend the initiative to 10 additional states.
He added that more than 1.5 million school-age children had been screened for visual problems under the School Eye Health Programme, while four additional vision centres were being established in secondary healthcare facilities in Enugu, Edo, Sokoto, and Nasarawa states.
Salako said the interventions were designed to strengthen the continuum of eye care, improve referral pathways and ensure that Nigerians could access appropriate services closer to their communities.
“Eye health is not an isolated intervention; it is an integral part of a resilient health system and a critical component of our journey towards Universal Health Coverage.
“No child should be prevented from learning because of an undiagnosed vision problem, and no Nigerian should live with avoidable blindness simply because treatment is beyond reach,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare would continue to collaborate with state governments, development partners, professional associations and the private sector to expand equitable access to quality eye care.
The minister urged Nigerians to take personal responsibility for protecting their sight through regular eye examinations, early presentation for treatment and healthy practices that preserve vision.
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