In the remote village of Zamfara, Nigeria, a four-year-old girl named Rabiatu once saw the world through a veil of shadows. Born with cataracts, a condition where the lens of the eye becomes cloudy, Rabiatu’s vision was severely impaired. Yet, despite her challenges, Rabiatu radiated joy as she navigated her surroundings with a vibrant spirit.
While other children played freely, she struggled to recognize even her mother’s face, let alone the colorful landscape around her.
Meanwhile, her future seemed bleak, but hope arrived when Sightsavers in Nigeria, an international charity organization dedicated to preventing avoidable blindness, and promoting inclusive development for persons with disabilities brought their intervention to her village.
Through it’s outreach program, Rabiatu received a vision-restoring cataract surgery. The moment her bandages were removed, her eyes sparkled with wonder. “Mama, I can see!” she exclaimed, overwhelmed by the bright colors and details she was experiencing for the first time.
With this new beginning, this simple moment of joy reflected the profound impact that accessible eye care can have on a child’s life.
Rabiatu’s story is one of thousands in Nigeria, where access to basic eye care remains out of reach for many living in rural areas. In a country where 24 million people live with vision loss, Rabiatu’s surgery is a reminder of how something as simple as restoring sight can transform lives.
Cataracts are one of the leading causes of blindness in the world, and in Nigeria, they affect people of all ages. Often associated with aging, cataracts can also be present at birth or develop in young children, as was the case with Rabiatu. When untreated, cataracts can lead to blindness, but with timely surgery, sight can often be fully restored.
The Call for Action on World Sight Day 2024
Country Director, Sightsavers in Nigeria Dr. Joy Shu’aibu, stated the gravity of the situation, she said “This World Sight Day, Thursday 10 October, international development organisation Sightsavers is calling for better access to eye health services for everyone from children to the elderly.
“Vision problems don’t just affect the elderly, a common misconception. Everyone, at some point, needs support to maintain good eye health: to see the board at school, to drive and work, and for independence later in life. Yet eye health is a neglected area of healthcare, and people are struggling unnecessarily with avoidable blindness and vision impairment.
Eye Health Statistics
She continued, “Globally, there are 1.1 billion people who have an untreated or preventable visual impairment. In Nigeria, the numbers are similarly shocking; in 2020, there was an estimated 24 million people with vision loss, and of these, 1.3 million people are blind or have moderate to severe vision impairment from cataract or refractive error.
Sightsavers Activities for World Sight Day 2024
This year for World Sight Day, Sightsavers is supporting several activities under the Plateau Inclusive Eye Health Programme. A comprehensive eye health initiative in Jos and Shendam will include screenings for up to 700 pupils, eye health education for teachers, and the provision of glasses. Roadshows and media engagements will raise awareness at state and local levels, with visits to the Ministry of Education and state universal basic education board (SUBEB) health promotion officers leading community campaigns, advocating to traditional rulers and local institutions.
Additionally, a medical and surgical outreach is planned for Quanpan in collaboration with the state government and partners.
The Global Eye Health Crisis
Across the world, the avoidable vision issues of cataract and uncorrected refractive errors, such as short-sightedness, are the leading causes of blindness and vision impairment respectively. Addressing the world’s eye health issues would cost just a sixteenth of the annual global productivity loss due to visual impairment. For example, having the right glasses could help people increase their earnings by a third, in turn boosting the economy. Yet most people don’t have access to the glasses they need, and children with vision impairment in low- and middle-income countries are up to five times less likely to be in formal education, impacting their future prospects.
