The Nigerian Government says it has taken steps to address the challenges hindering access to affordable eye care services.
President Bola Tinubu told members of a non-governmental organization, “I Health” a major eye who visited him on Friday that the federal government will ensure all Nigerians have clear eyesight to enable them to contribute to the growth of the nation.
He said he supports the partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Programme and the Peek Vision Foundation aimed at providing more than 5 million pairs of eyeglasses to Nigerians with sight impairment.
He expressed concern over the more than 24 million Nigerians grappling with varying degrees of vision impairments highlighting the pressing need for improved eye health services in the country.
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Addressing state house correspondents after the meeting with the president, the coordinating minister of health and social welfare, Mohammed Ali Pate said the directive from the president was in line with the goal of ensuring every Nigerian had access to quality healthcare.
Available statistics show 4.25 million adults in Nigeria, aged 40 and above, are suffering from visual impairment or blindness.
The pilot free eyeglasses project is expected to take off before the end of this year.
(Editor: Oloyede Oworu)
