Vision is Power: Reforming Eye Health Policy in Rivers State, Nigeria
Category: Health Systems Strengthening | Public Healthy Policy | Access to Care
In Nigeria, 1.3 million people live with complete blindness as of 2020. This is an alarming figure when you consider that many of these cases are preventable. In Rivers State alone, 0.8% of the population is blind. What does this mean in real terms? Thousands of children unable to see the chalkboard, young adults unable to work, and grandparents unable to see their grandchildren.
Preventable vision loss is not just a clinical issue; it’s an economic, developmental, and a public health emergency.
At Ziora, we believe mental and physical health go hand in hand. Our Ziora Health Consulting branch highlights bold ideas and transformative public health solutions across the African continent.
Today, we begin with the eyes.
A “3D” Vision for Eye Health Reform
We proposed a 3D Approach:
1. Disease Control
2. Development of Infrastructure
3. Development of Human Capital
1. Disease Control
Vitamin A supplementation in rural clinics for children under 5
School-based screenings for diabetes and hypertension
Public health campaigns promoting UV-blocking sunglasses
Prescription requirement for eyeglasses
Annual eye exams during general practitioner visits
2. Development of Infrastructure
Equip primary care clinics with slit lamps, retinoscopes, and retinal cameras
Introduce electronic health records for ophthalmic data tracking
Ban unsafe surgical eye camps—surgeries only in regulated hospital settings
Launch school-based vision screening programs
Inspired by India’s Aravind Eye Care model, we proposed a dedicated eye surgery budget to
support high-volume, low-cost interventions with free transportation and intraocular lenses produced for as little as $2.
3. Development of Human Capital
Train public health nurses to conduct eye exams and collect community-level data
Train general practitioners to screen for eye conditions
Increase ophthalmology rotations for medical students
Click to see our full presentation
So why Eye Health?
Visual health is a foundation to emotional well being, economic productivity, and public health equity.
Many eye conditions: glaucoma, cataracts, diabetic retinopathy, and hypertensive retinopathy, can be detected early and treated effectively. But in most Nigerian communities, people don’t have access to basic eye exams, let alone surgical interventions.
Through guidance from the Commissioner for Health of Rivers State, Dr. Adaeze Oreh, integration of eye care into the state’s primary healthcare system was explored. The goal was to make vision services as routine as blood pressure checks.
We believe in clarity, not charity. Through research, policy, and digital storytelling, Ziora Health Consulting will continue to advocate for systems that protect the mind, the body, and the future of Africa.
