• 2.4m Nigerians have impaired vision
About 1.1 billion people globally suffer from treatable visual impairment. In Nigeria, about 24.2 million people have vision impairment, and more than 85 per cent with visual impairment live in the rural areas, experts have said.
This is in line with the disclosure that Nigeria will benefit from the Bloomberg Philanthropies’ $75 Million Vision Initiative to tackle untreated vision impairment in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the United States.
The Country Director of Sightsavers, Prof. Joy Shua’ibu, who disclosed this at the Bloomberg focus on clear vision project launch, yesterday, in Abuja as part of activities to mark the 2025 World Sight Day, said that 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 Nigeria, United States, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia and Kenya.
She noted that under the initiative, the organisation would train health workers and teachers in basic eye health screening, the provision of eye examinations and glasses, and outreach in the community, workplaces, schools, and to out-of-school children.
According to Shua’ibu, Sightsavers will work with Ministries of Health and Education to enhance vision and eye health services in the country.
She said: “ Vision and eye care are often a ‘missing’ topic in health and development priorities, but at least one 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”.
According to her, Bloomberg Philanthropies’ announcement complements Sightsavers’ call for further action to reduce the global burden of avoidable vision impairment, such as uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts.
The Country Director observed that new research from IAPB, the Seva Foundation, and the Fred Hollows Foundation estimates that addressing preventable vision impairment by 2030 would return US$2.45 billion to the country’s economy.
