David Umahi, Federal University of Health Sciences, Uburu, Ebonyi State, says no fewer than 24 million Nigerians are currently living with sight loss.
The Vice-Chancellor of the institution, Prof Jesse Uneke, made this known during a media engagement on the activities of its Ultramodern Eye Centre and Institute for Eye Health, Visual Sciences Research.
The media engagement took place on Thursday in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state.
Uneke further explained that, according to the findings from the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, about 4.2% of Nigerians over 40 years old are blind.
The Professor of Medical Parasitology and Health Policy/Health Systems added that an estimated 4.25 million adults aged 40 and above suffer from moderate to severe visual impairment.
“84% of blindness in Nigeria is due to preventable causes, stressing the need for regular eye checks, public awareness and affordable treatment.
“Blindness in Nigeria is associated with increasing age, being female, and poor literacy. Sadly, 84% of blindness cases are due to avoidable causes.
“Cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors are the leading causes of visual impairment in the country, but conditions such as glaucoma, age-related macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, infectious eye diseases, and trauma also pose significant challenges,” Uneke said.
The vice-chancellor stressed that limited access to basic eye care in low- and middle-income countries like Nigeria worsened the burden of sight loss, particularly for rural dwellers.
“To address the crisis, our school, with support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund, has established the Ultramodern Eye Centre and IEHVSR.
“This is a state-of-the-art facility for research, training and patient care.
“Through its Free Eye Care Initiative, the university has already provided free treatment to 2,412 patients since February 2025.
“This includes over 1,300 people with refractive errors and more than 600 with cataracts, while distributing 1,000 eyeglasses.
Uneke explained that the beneficiaries comprised 918 men, 1,302 women and 192 children.
“The programme is part of DUFUHS’s mandate on research, training and community development,” Uneke explained.
He added that the facility, supported by TETFund, was established to address Nigeria’s rising burden of visual impairment and blindness, which currently affects an estimated 24 million people.
The vice-chancellor stated that DUFUHS’s free Eye Care Initiative had drastically reduced avoidable blindness and provided an opportunity for training, research, and patient care.
“From February to date, we have treated 2,412 persons—1,352 for refractive errors, 627 for cataracts, 168 for glaucoma, and 265 for other conditions.
“We also gave out 400 reading glasses and 600 prescription glasses free of charge,” Uneke stated.
(NAN)
