Sightsavers: Over 11m People Targeted With $17m Eyecare Initiative In Nigeria, 5 Other Countries

Sightsavers Nigeria has disclosed that the $75 million vision initiative announced by the Bloomberg Philanthropies recently will go into screenings for 11.5 million people, distribution of nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses, and restoring sight for 250,000 people through cataract surgeries in Nigeria, the United States, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, and Kenya.

The initiative launched in Abuja, as part of activities to mark this year’s World Sight Day, was said to have been designed to also provide training for health workers and teachers in basic eye health screening, eye examinations and glasses; and outreach in the community, workplaces, schools, and to out-of-school children.

Prof Joy Shua’ibu, Country Director at Sightsavers, while sharing a story of a 12-year-old boy in Kaduna, Nigeria, highlighting the impact that access to glasses also noted that the launched eyecare initiative would give priority to children in school.

A statement from Sightsavers said, “ Bloomberg Philanthropies recently announced a new $75 million Vision Initiative to tackle untreated vision impairment in low and middle-income countries and the United States. As part of this effort, international development organisation Sightsavers will work with Ministries of Health and Education in Nigeria to enhance vision and eye health services.

“ Overall, the Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative will conduct vision screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses, and restore sight for 250,000 people through cataract surgeries in the United States, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria”.

Shua’ibu further urged for sustained collaboration amongst stakeholders globally and nationally to bring relief and more succour to people across the country.

She said, “We hope Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment will spur additional global and national commitments. We need leadership and commitments, funding and partnerships, to make avoidable vision impairment truly avoidable.

“Making eye care a priority will be transformational for people, communities, and nations. Good eye health can reduce inequities, get more children in school and enable more adults to work. Access to glasses and cataract surgery will boost learning and economic productivity.”

“At Sightsavers, we are proud of our efforts to improve access to vision and eye care services, including our new partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies and our ongoing work with governments, donors, decision-makers, NGOs, and other partners”, Shua’ibu added.

She lamented that, “ Vision and eye care is often a ‘missing’ topic in health and development priorities, but at least 1 billion people worldwide– that’s one in eight of us – have an untreated or preventable vision impairment. It is an important element of achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachallom, who was represented by Dr Otemi Okolo, said that the government has prioritised several programmes to tackle vision impairment in the country.

Kachallom disclosed that the Ministry would ensure that the new initiative is fully implemented to achieve the objectives.