Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako at launching of SightQuest Nigeria,

Speaking at the launch on Thursday, the Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr. Iziaq Adekunle Salako, said the initiative would initially cover five states, with plans to scale up to 14 states nationwide.

The Federal Government has reaffirmed its commitment to eliminating avoidable blindness with the launch of SightQuest Nigeria, a 10-year eye health programme by Christian Blind Mission (CBM) International aimed at expanding inclusive eye care services across the country.

Salako noted that Nigeria’s blindness prevalence stands at 0.78 percent, with about 84 per cent of cases caused by treatable or preventable conditions such as cataract, glaucoma, refractive errors, corneal opacities, trachoma, onchocerciasis and emerging diseases like diabetic retinopathy.

He attributed the high burden largely to poor awareness and limited access to quality eye care, which often pushes patients towards unorthodox treatments with “disastrous outcomes.”

“Vision impairment affects the ability of individuals to perform daily tasks, reduces productivity and ultimately limits their contribution to national economic growth,” the minister said.

He added that global estimates show vision loss costs the world, including Nigeria, about 411 billion dollars annually, while every one dollar invested in cost-effective eye care interventions yields a return of 28 dollars.

According to him, preventing vision loss would improve educational opportunities, workplace productivity, quality of life and life expectancy, with positive effects on Nigeria’s gross domestic product.

He said the government’s commitment to eye health is reflected in policy frameworks such as the National Eye Health Policy adopted in 2019 and the National Eye Health Strategic Development Plan for 2024–2028, both aligned with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda and the drive for universal health coverage.

Salako also highlighted the approval of the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria, known as JigiBola 2.0, under which five million free reading glasses are to be distributed over four years.

He said the programme has already been implemented in 15 states and includes integrating primary eye care into primary healthcare, adding that the ministry plans to provide at least 25,000 free cataract surgeries by the end of 2027.

Commending CBM International and its donors, the minister said the SightQuest Nigeria programme would support government efforts to improve access to cataract surgery, enhance the quality and availability of spectacles, strengthen eye health infrastructure and build human resource capacity.

He expressed confidence that the initiative would help Nigeria meet global eye health and disability inclusion targets by 2030.

Salako reiterated the federal government’s resolve to improve access, quality and financial protection in healthcare delivery under the Health Sector Renewal Investment Initiative.

He said international partners such as the World Health Organization and the World Bank have acknowledged that Nigeria is on the right track with its health reforms, while urging health workers and other stakeholders to support their full implementation to ensure affordable and accessible healthcare for all Nigerians. (Nigerian Tribune)