The Vice Chancellor of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUTHS) Uburu, Ebonyi State, Professor Jesse Uneke has said that at least 24 million Nigerians are currently living with sight loss.
Uneke, a Professor of Medical Parasitology & Health Policy/Health Systems disclosed this during a press engagement at the unveiling of the university’s Free Eye Care Initiative and Eye Research Programme held at the institution’s Institute for Eye Health and Visual Sciences Research (IEHVSR) in Ebonyi State.
Citing findings from the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey, he said about 4.2% of Nigerians over 40 years old are blind, while an estimated 4.25 million adults aged 40 and above suffer from moderate to severe visual impairment.
The don noted that 84% of blindness in Nigeria was due to preventable causes, stressing the need for regular eye checks, public awareness, and affordable treatment.
“Blindness in Nigeria is associated with increasing age and poor literacy. Sadly, 84% of blindness cases are due to avoidable causes,” he explained.
He noted that 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.
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, he said DUFUHS, with support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), had established the Ultramodern Eye Centre and IEHVSR, a state-of-the-art facility for research, training and patient care.
He added that the Centre aligned with the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative, which seeks to expand access to quality, affordable refractive error services globally.
The DUFUHS Eye Centre’s primary objectives, he explained, included enhancing accessibility to eye services in rural communities, increasing awareness of regular eye examinations, providing affordable solutions for the less privileged, and developing sustainable long-term strategies for vision care.
Uneke assured that the university would continue to strengthen its training, research, and community health programmes in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with the ultimate aim of reversing both medical and educational tourism.
He reaffirmed DUFUHS’s commitment to advancing scientific research, training, and community service in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, with a mission to reverse both medical and educational tourism.
