By Prosper Okoye
Efforts to prevent blindness and other forms of vision loss must be matched with increased support for people already living with visual impairment, particularly in access to healthcare, education, employment and other social opportunities, a Nigerian health advocate, Dr. Kiema Ogunlana, has said.
Ogunlana, programme director of Daisy Oak Foundation, made the call during a World Sight Day outreach at Ruga community along Airport Road in Abuja, where underserved residents benefited from free eye examinations and other healthcare services.
She stressed that while considerable attention was being given to preventing avoidable blindness, more investment was needed to improve the quality of life of people already living with visual impairment and ensure that they were not excluded from opportunities available to other members of society.
“While we are investing in preventing vision loss, there should also be investment in those who are already visually impaired to ensure that they are not denied access to health, employment and other social opportunities,” she said.
Citing estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO), Ogunlana said about 2.2 billion people worldwide had near or distance vision impairment, noting that many cases could be prevented or treated through timely intervention and access to appropriate eye-care services.
She said the figures highlighted the need for individuals, healthcare providers, government agencies and development organisations to intensify efforts to promote eye health, particularly among people living in underserved communities.
“We need to be conscious about our eye health. This is why this kind of intervention, especially in communities that are very hard to reach, is very important to us,” she said.
During the outreach, Daisy Oak Foundation and its partner organisations provided free eye examinations, eyeglasses, eye-health education, general health education, deworming medication and other healthcare services to residents.
Ogunlana explained that the intervention was designed to raise awareness about the importance of eye health while bringing essential healthcare services closer to people who might otherwise be unable to access them because of financial constraints or the limited availability of medical facilities.
She said the programme also sought to remind participants that behind every statistic on vision impairment were individuals whose health, livelihoods, education and family responsibilities could be affected by poor eyesight.
“We have ensured that they understand the importance of taking care of their health, especially their eyes. Because behind those statistics are real people,” she said.
Ogunlana said this year’s World Sight Day theme, “Every Story Counts,” drew attention to the experiences of people affected by vision problems and the importance of making eye care more accessible to all.
She noted that effective eye-health interventions should not be restricted to urban centres or people who could afford private medical services, adding that communities with limited access to healthcare deserved greater attention.
Also speaking at the outreach, the Programme Officer of Sam Empowerment Foundation (SEF), Okechukwu Chibueze, said the theme reflected the different backgrounds and experiences that shaped people’s eye-health journeys.
Chibueze said understanding these individual experiences was important in addressing the challenges associated with visual impairment and helping affected persons recognise opportunities available to them despite their circumstances.
“In line with the theme, ‘Every Story Counts’, we know that each person comes from a diverse background which defines their story and their sight history. Beyond this, we are here to unveil to them possibilities beyond what they see,” he said.
“There are two ways to see. One is mental and the second is visual,” he added.
He explained that collaboration among organisations was essential to extending the reach of healthcare interventions, particularly in communities where access to medical services remained limited.
According to him, partnerships enable organisations to combine their resources, expertise and networks to deliver more effective programmes and reach more people in need.
“We believe in partnership in line with SDG Goal 17, as combining each organisation’s strengths upholds humanity,” Chibueze said, referring to the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal on partnerships for the goals.
The Chairman of the Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA), Federal Capital Territory Chapter, Dr. Njezi Chinedu, also emphasised the human consequences of vision impairment, saying that the theme was intended to draw attention to the individuals and families affected by the condition.
Chinedu said the impact of poor eyesight extended beyond medical concerns, as untreated vision problems could undermine productivity, disrupt children’s education, threaten employment and worsen the economic difficulties faced by affected households.
“In choosing the theme, we considered the statistics, knowing that behind the statistics are human beings,” he said.
He estimated that about 4.2 million Nigerians were at risk of blindness, warning that vision impairment could prevent people from performing effectively at work, attending school regularly and providing for their families.
To illustrate the consequences, Chinedu described the difficulties faced by a father whose eyesight had deteriorated to the extent that he could no longer perform his duties effectively at work.
“Behind this statistic is a father who, because of his visual impairment, cannot function at work and therefore cannot give his best. He is at risk of losing his job and putting his family on the poverty line,” he said.
He added that children with uncorrected vision problems could also experience serious educational setbacks, particularly when their conditions prevented them from attending school or participating fully in classroom activities.
“Behind the statistics of children who are out of school because they cannot see is a child who might never reach his potential because his vision is impaired,” he said.
The optometrist called on government agencies, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders to expand the provision of affordable eye-care services, particularly in rural and underserved communities where residents might have to travel considerable distances to obtain professional medical attention.
He maintained that taking eye-care services directly to such communities would improve access to screening, encourage early detection of eye conditions and reduce the risk of avoidable vision loss.
“We are all calling on government and non-government organisations to take affordable eye care to places that are unreached,” he said.
Chinedu also cautioned Nigerians against seeking treatment from unqualified practitioners or using unverified substances and traditional concoctions in their eyes, warning that such practices could worsen existing conditions and cause further damage to vision.
He urged members of the public to consult qualified eye-care professionals whenever they experienced vision difficulties or other eye-related symptoms, stressing the importance of professional assessment and appropriate treatment.
“I advise Nigerians to always seek professional care. The era of going under the bridge to put whatever concoction into the eyes is over,” he said.
The World Sight Day outreach highlighted the importance of combining blindness prevention with inclusive healthcare, public education and sustained support for people living with visual impairment, while strengthening partnerships to ensure that affordable eye-care services reach communities that need them most.
