Sightsavers Nigeria, an international non-governmental organization, said Thursday that more than 4.25 million Nigerians are blind or have trouble seeing.
The group said this at a meeting with media partners in Keffi, Nasarawa State, where they talked about how to work better with journalists to raise awareness about eye health, battle Neglected Tropical Diseases, and other issues.
Experts say that Nigeria, Africa’s most populous country, is facing a rising eye health problem that might get worse if people can’t get the care they need. The PUNCH says that just a small number of Nigerians get the right eye care services, even though a lot of people have trouble seeing.
Experts say that the government loses billions of naira every year because of poor vision. Untreated eye problems make people less productive, diminish household income, and cause students and working-age adults to fall behind in their education.
Ms. Barbara Marok, the Eye Health Programme Officer of Sightsavers, spoke at the event and asked for more awareness and funding for eye health services, especially in rural areas where getting eye care is still hard.
“More than 4.25 million Nigerians are blind or have trouble seeing, and many of them could have been helped by conditions like cataracts, glaucoma, and uncorrected refractive errors,” Marok said.
“Only 4.4 percent of Nigerians now get eye care, while 38 percent of people in middle-income countries do.”
She said that Nigeria loses billions of naira every year because of bad vision, which makes people less productive, lowers their income, and makes it harder for them to go to school.
Ms. Folake Aliu, the Senior Monitoring, Evaluation, and Learning Manager for NTDs and Safeguarding Lead at Sightsavers Nigeria, also spoke. She said that Nigeria has 25% of Africa’s Neglected Tropical Diseases’ burden.
Aliu said that cataracts, glaucoma, and uncorrected refractive problems are just a few of the things that might cause blindness in Nigeria.
She went on to say that the group is now working on five of the most common NTDs: lymphatic filariasis (elephantiasis), river blindness (onchocerciasis), trachoma, intestinal worms, and schistosomiasis.
“As of 2024, Sightsavers had helped make sure that more than 653.1 million people get treatment for NTDs.
She said, “We have also helped 74 local government areas reach the trachoma elimination threshold and given 80 percent of the national support for trachoma elimination in Nigeria.”
She did say, though, that problems like instability, inadequate government ownership, financing deficits, and poorly implemented programs are still getting in the way of getting rid of NTDs in Nigeria.
Prof. Joy Shua’ibu, the Country Director of Sightsavers Nigeria, said that the media interaction was meant to give journalists information that would assist spread the word about the fight against avoidable blindness.
Mrs. Anita Gwong, the Project Director for NTDs at Sightsavers, spoke for Shua’ibu and noted that the organization’s work had helped nearly 60% of Nigeria’s population.
She asked the media to cover more stories on NTDs, push the government to take responsibility for health programs, fill in financial gaps, and push for the successful implementation of policies that make it easier for people with disabilities to get healthcare and education.
Ms. Esther Bature, the Advocacy Coordinator at Sightsavers, talked on social inclusion and said that discrimination against PWDs still makes it hard for them to get health care, education, and other important services.
She said that Sightsavers has continued to promote social inclusion and equality across Nigeria through projects like the Support Mainstreaming Inclusion to All Learn Equally project, the Inclusive Family Planning Project, Inclusion Works II, and the Girls Educational Skills Partnership-SABI Woman program.
About the Author
