By CHARLES IWUOHA

At least 24 million Nigerians are currently living with sight loss, the Vice Chancellor of the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu, Jesse Uneke, has revealed.

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 Vice Chancellor noted that 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,” 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 worsens 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 is that through its Free Eye Care Initiative, the university has already provided free treatment to 2,412 patients since February 2025, including over 1,300 people with refractive errors and more than 600 with cataracts, while distributing 1,000 eyeglasses.

He noted that the programme was part of DUFUHS’s mandate on research, training, and community development.

According to him, the facility, supported by the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), was established to address Nigeria’s rising burden of visual impairment and blindness, which currently affects an estimated 24 million people.

“Our Free Eye Care Initiative has 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.

He emphasized that the DUFUHS Eye Centre operates with a multidisciplinary team of ophthalmologists, optometrists, nurses, biomedical engineers, and ICT experts working to improve access to eye care, especially for rural dwellers in Ebonyi State and beyond.

He added that the Centre aligns 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, include 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.

Mr. 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.