Keffi: Sightsavers Nigeria, an international non-governmental organisation, has revealed that more than 4.25 million Nigerians are currently suffering from blindness and visual impairment. Ms. Barbara Marok, the Eye Health Programme Officer of the organisation, shared these alarming figures during a meeting with media partners in Keffi, Nassarawa State. Marok highlighted that a significant number of these cases arise from preventable conditions such as cataracts, glaucoma, and uncorrected refractive errors.
According to News Agency of Nigeria, the programme officer emphasized the urgent need for heightened awareness and investment in eye health services, especially in rural communities where access to such care is severely limited. Marok pointed out that only 4.4 percent of Nigerians have access to eye care services, a stark contrast to the 38 percent in middle-income countries. She noted that Nigeria's economy suffers billions in losses annually due to poor vision, adversely affecting productivity, income, and education.
Ms. Folake Aliu, Senior Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Manager of the Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs)/Safeguarding Lead at Sightsavers, added that Nigeria shoulders 25 percent of Africa's NTD burden. She reiterated that many causes of blindness, including cataracts, glaucoma, and uncorrected refractive errors, are largely preventable. Aliu reported that by 2024, Sightsavers had enabled over 653 million people to access NTD treatment and assisted 74 local government areas in reaching the trachoma elimination threshold. However, she highlighted challenges such as insecurity, lack of government ownership, funding gaps, and ineffective programme execution as impediments to eliminating NTDs in Nigeria.
Prof. Joy Shuaibu, the Country Director of Sightsavers Nigeria, opened the meeting, which aimed to empower journalists to amplify the fight against avoidable blindness. Shuaibu, represented by Mrs. Anita Gwong, Project Director for NTDs at Sightsavers, stated that the organisation had impacted about 60 percent of Nigeria's population through its interventions. She urged the media to focus on NTD-related issues, promote government ownership of projects, close funding gaps, and implement policies to improve healthcare and education access for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs).
Ms. Esther Bature, the Advocacy Coordinator for Sightsavers, addressed the social inclusion aspect, lamenting the discrimination faced by PWDs that hampers their access to healthcare, facilities, and education. She noted that the organisation's inclusive programmes, such as the Support Mainstreaming Inclusion to all Learn Equally (SMILE), Inclusive Family Planning project, Inclusion Works ll, and GESP-SABI Woman, have been instrumental in promoting social inclusion.