No fewer than 1.2 billion people across the world are living with visual impairment, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academics), Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), Professor Emmanuel Esenwah, has disclosed.
Esenwah made this known while delivering a lecture at a symposium held in Umuahia, the Abia State capital, to mark the 2025 World Sight Day.
Highlighting the barriers to accessing quality eye care services, Prof. Esenwah identified ignorance, shortage of trained eye care workers, harmful practices, and superstition among the major challenges.
He recommended health promotion, early detection, healthy living, and an increase in the number of trained health workers as strategies to curb the menace.
“All hands must be on deck through an integrated, people-centred approach to deal with the challenge,” he said.
He commended the Abia State Government for improving access to quality eye care at the grassroots level and urged other states to emulate its initiative.
Stakeholders at the event also expressed concern over the rising cases of glaucoma in the South East geo-political zone.
Meanwhile, the Abia State Government has announced a ban on unathourised free medical outreaches in any part of the state.
Speaking at the event, the Abia State Commissioner for Health, Professor Ogbonnaya Uche, explained that the government’s decision to ban unauthorised medical outreaches followed a recent illegal medical mission in Abiriba community which led to the loss of lives.
He stated that henceforth, every free medical outreach in the state must obtain government approval and be conducted only in accredited health facilities.
“Nobody is permitted to carry out any free medical outreach outside a hospital or without the permission of the Ministry of Health. This is important because it is at such unauthorised medical outreaches that fake products are distributed,” he said.
The Commissioner urged community leaders not to allow their subjects to participate in any form of free medical outreach without government approval.
He further announced a ban on media promotion of medical products without proper validation of efficacy claims, noting that the move was aimed at protecting the public from deceptive and unverified medical advertisements, particularly herbal products.
According to him, the Directors of Medical Service had been directed to notify media organisations in the state to desist from airing advertorials or jingles without the approval of the Ministry of Health.
“So, the first thing this government did was to ensure that we have facilities where people can access proper healthcare,” he said.
He warned that the government would take action against individuals or groups that misinform the public with unverified or unsubstantiated medical claims.
Prof Uche lamented that many people had suffered complications and even death as a result of fake and substandard products.
Emphasising the importance of regular eye checks, he advised residents of Abia State to undergo comprehensive eye examinations at least once a year.
The Commissioner decried the prevalence of eye-related diseases in Nigeria and called for collective efforts to address the problem.
Quoting the World Health Organisation (WHO), he said the estimated prevalence of blindness among Nigerians above 50 years was nine out of every 100 adults.
“Among children and adults, the prevalence of blindness ranges from 0.2 to 0.4 per cent. In raw numbers, this translates to about 400,000 children in Nigeria — a very high figure,” he said.
“In Nigeria, we are witnessing an increase in visual impairment cases. Urgent and concerted efforts are needed from all stakeholders to complement government interventions,” he added.
Earlier in her remarks, the Administrator of the Abia State Eye Health Management Bureau, Dr (Mrs) Betty Emeka-Obasi, urged Abians to prioritise eye examinations, suggesting that they undergo checks at least on their birthdays each year.
She commended Governor Alex Otti for his continued support towards improving eye health services in the state and reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to providing affordable and standardised eye care for all residents.
“Our vision is to ensure every resident enjoys affordable, standardised eye care, tackling avoidable blindness, and promoting lifelong visual well-being,” she said.
Dr Emeka-Obasi noted that the agency had upgraded the tertiary eye clinic at the Abia State Specialist Hospital, Umuahia, and established three new eye centres at General Hospital, Amachara; Ugwunabo General Hospital; and Aba General Hospital.