The Christian Blind Mission International (CBMI) has launched a project in Jigawa State aimed at providing free eye surgeries and addressing other eye-related cases for a total of 3.9 million people.
Mr Bright Ekweramadu, the country director of CBMI, revealed this during a press conference held in Dutse, the capital of Jigawa State. The project is expected to cost a total sum of N1.7 billion.
Ekweramadu explained that the project would be funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by CBMI and the Health Development Support Programme (HANDS), with support from the Jigawa State government. The initiative aims to bridge the existing gaps in eye healthcare services.
The country director stated that the project, which began towards the end of the previous year, will span four years. He outlined the timeline as forty-one months, from November 1, 2022, to March 31, 2026. Ekweramadu mentioned that the project aims to directly benefit 53,920 individuals and indirectly benefit approximately 3.9 million people.
Referring to the national blindness and visual impairment survey conducted in Nigeria from 2005 to 2007, Ekweramadu highlighted that the prevalence of blindness in the country was estimated to be 0.78% across all age groups.
The survey found that blindness rates increased significantly with age, rising from 0.8% among individuals aged 40-49 to 23.3% among those aged 80 and above. Additionally, females had a higher prevalence of blindness compared to males.
The director noted that the survey identified the northwest geopolitical zone, where Jigawa State is located, as having the largest number of blind adults in the country due to its high population.
Cataracts were found to be the leading cause of severe visual impairment and blindness, accounting for 45.3% and 43.0% respectively, while glaucoma was the second most common cause of blindness, contributing to 16.7% of cases.
Ekweramadu stated that the comprehensive and inclusive eye health project in Jigawa State aims to improve eye health among the population.
This will be achieved by integrating eye health into the governance of the state’s health services, raising awareness about the availability of eye care services, improving accessibility to inclusive eye health at primary and secondary levels, and enhancing the professional capacity of eye care and healthcare workers, as well as other support staff, to provide comprehensive and inclusive eye health services in the state.
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