Nigeria has called for increased global investment in eye health, stressing its socioeconomic benefits and potential to transform lives.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Salako, appealed while co-hosting a high-level event titled “The Value of Vision: The Case for Investment” on the margins of the 80th United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Dr Salako noted that millions of people worldwide, including Nigerians, suffer from preventable blindness and visual impairment, conditions that hinder education, productivity, and national development.
He highlighted studies showing that every dollar invested in global eye care yields a return of between 28 and 36 dollars through improved productivity, quality of life, and reduced healthcare costs.
The Minister said Nigeria is taking bold steps to address avoidable blindness, including the establishment of a National Eye Health Programme with eye health desks across states and the Federal Capital Territory.
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“The country has also developed a National Eye Health Policy and Strategic Development Plan (2024–2028) to guide interventions and targets at all levels of care.”
Highlighting key initiatives, Dr Salako pointed to the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative (ESCIN–Jigi Bola 2.0), a presidential project providing subsidised and affordable spectacles to Nigerians.
He revealed that within one year, about 1.5 million people were screened, and over one million received free reading glasses across 16 states, with two-thirds of beneficiaries getting their first-ever pair.
The initiative, he added, is now being expanded under the Renewed Hope HealthConnect to deliver at least five million free spectacles and 25,000 free cataract surgeries by 2027.
“To strengthen sustainability, about 2,200 primary healthcare workers have also been trained to provide primary eye care services at the community level.”
Dr Salako urged world leaders, policymakers, and development partners to scale up investments in vision health, promote research, and expand access to quality services, stressing that investing in eye care is investing in human dignity and global prosperity.
He thanked the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and other partners for convening the high-level dialogue and reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to achieving universal access to eye health.