No child should be needlessly blind, but in Nigeria, West Africa a lack of eye health services means that many children lose their sight because of diseases or conditions that could be treated. As in most low-income countries, children who are blind or visually impaired in Nigeria often struggle to access education, get around safely or fulfil their potential.
In partnership with Brian Holden Vision International, we’re working with partner hospitals in 11 states of Nigeria to prevent childhood blindness and visual impairment by improving access to eye health services. Over 3 years, we aim to reach 1.5 million children by:
- Providing free sight-saving surgery for children with blinding conditions such as cataracts.
- Providing free glasses and low vision devices to children who need them.
- Training health workers and teachers to identify eye conditions in children and refer them for treatment.
- Raising public knowledge of child eye health conditions and the treatment available, so that families seek help for children who need it before it is too late.
- Training medical staff and equipping hospitals to provide high quality eye health services that are inclusive for everyone.
- Conducting research on child eye health to improve understanding of childhood blindness and how to prevent it in the future in poor communities.
- Supporting and influencing State and National decision-makers to improve child eye health services, so that the benefits of the programme will continue for years after it is completed .
- Working with specialist and mainstream schools to improve access to education for children who are visually impaired and blind.