Nigeria among 24 nations to benefit from $10m global eye health fund — Minister
Nigeria is among 24 nations selected for a new global initiative backed by a minimum of $10 million to expand access to basic eye care and affordable reading glasses.
The Vision Action Fund announced the multi-year funding commitment at the Global Summit for Eye Health in Antigua and Barbuda on November 2, on the sidelines of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting.
The initiative, launched in partnership with Vital Strategies, will support participating nations to integrate eye health services into their primary healthcare systems, improve access to screening and make eyeglasses more readily available.
Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the initiative would strengthen the country’s efforts to address the growing burden of near-vision impairment.
Salako said an estimated 25 million Nigerians live with presbyopia, an age-related condition that affects the ability to see objects clearly at close range.
He said the Presidential Initiative on eye health had provided reading glasses to more than one million Nigerians through primary healthcare channels, while the government planned to reach another three million people within three years.
“For millions of Nigerians, including an estimated 25 million with presbyopia, eye screening and reading glasses will soon be within reach at their local point of care,” he said.
The minister said the Global Vision Impact Award would help Nigeria expand the programme and take eye care services closer to underserved communities.
“With this initiative, we are demonstrating to the world an effective model for delivering primary eye care at scale,” Salako said.
Other award recipients are Bangladesh, Cambodia, Cameroon, Chad, Ethiopia, Ghana, Madhya Pradesh in India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Mauritania, Mexico, Mozambique, Nepal, Peru, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Uganda, Vietnam and Zambia.
