The Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare has launched a series of initiatives to tackle glaucoma, a leading cause of irreversible blindness worldwide.
This effort coincides with the 2025 World Glaucoma Week (WGW), held annually during the second week of March.
The Minister of State for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Iziaq Adekunle Salako, stated this Monday at a press briefing to commemorate World Glaucoma Week in Abuja.
The theme for this year is: “Uniting for a Glaucoma Free World; See the Future Clearly.”
Dr Salako said the goal is to state the importance of regular eye checks and early diagnosis of this largely asymptomatic and devastating disease, thus preserving the vision of those affected.
He added that glaucoma affects an estimated 60.5 million people globally, with 87% living in developing countries. In Nigeria, glaucoma is responsible for 16.7% of blindness, with over 4.2% of the population affected.
“The ministry has developed and launched the National Glaucoma Screening and Treatment Guidelines, providing clinical and programmatic guidance for screening and management of glaucoma and the guidelines have been distributed to all states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The minister further stated that to address the challenge of vision loss, the ministry has also implemented the Effective Spectacle Coverage Initiative Nigeria (ESCIN), also known as JigiBola 2.0. The initiative aims to provide free vision screening and distribute 5 million pairs of reading glasses to Nigerians over the next three years.
“So far, over 100,000 Nigerians have been screened, and over 80,000 spectacles have been dispensed. The initiative has also facilitated the integration of Primary Eye Care (PEC) into the Primary Health Care (PHC) system, empowering PHC workers to manage simple eye care conditions.
Dr Salako commended partners, including the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Sightsavers, and the One Sight EssilorLuxottica Foundation (OSELF), for their support in reducing the burden of vision loss in Nigeria.