By Joyce Remi-Babayeju
As the world marks the 2025 World Sight Day, the World Health Organization, WHO, has moved to ensure that more of the population of Africans with refractive error have access to corrective eye care services by 2030.
WHO Regional Director for Africa, Prof. Mohammed Yakub Janabi disclosed this in a message to mark the sight day in Nigeria.
Prof. Yakub Janabi disclosed that WHO has launched the Services Personnel Education Co- Surveillance, SPECS 2030 initiative, aimed at ensuring that by year 2030, everyone in need of refractive error services will have access to quality, affordable, and people-centred care.
He explained, “The initiative focuses on strengthening service delivery, expanding the eye health workforce, raising public awareness, reducing the cost of refractive services, and enhancing surveillance systems to meet global targets for effective coverage.
Prof. Yakub explained that eight member states in the African Region, inclusive of Nigeria, have initiated implementation of the SPECS 2030 initiative, while others are on the verge of developing work plans, while others remain in the planning phase.”
Prof. Yakub stated that actions should be taken to address the increasing challenge posed by refractive errors and cataracts, through several strategic interventions and implementation of the Vision 2020: the Right to Sight Initiative, which is aimed at eliminating avoidable and reversible blindness.
The WHO states, “Eye health faces new challenges due to aging populations, unhealthy lifestyles, environmental factors, inadequate knowledge of good eye health practices, low awareness, altered diets, sedentary lifestyles, and an increase in noncommunicable diseases, resulting in an increase in preventable vision impairment and blindness, such as refractive errors and cataracts.”
In Africa, effective cataract surgery is about 26%; that is, one in four individuals in need of this surgery have undergone it with good visual outcomes.”
Similarly, Africa records an estimated 30% of effective refractive error coverage, indicating that only one in three people who need vision correction with eyeglasses have been successfully treated to achieve good vision.”
Good vision significantly enhances overall well-being, academic performance, employment opportunities, and economic productivity.
Who has called on governments to increase investments and improve access to eye care services in the region.
The agency has urged States to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and empower individuals with sensory impairments.
Also urged policymakers to leverage on the World Sight Day, among others, to raise public awareness and promote early detection.
Meanwhile, countries are urged to use WHO technical tools such as data collection and the use of free smartphone application for vision assessment – to support routine screening and strengthen policy and advocacy efforts.
Daybreak reports that World Sight Day is marked annually on the second Thursday of October as a day to raise awareness about the importance of maintaining healthy vision.
