FG launches national eye health policy for equitable access to care

The Federal Government has launched the National Eye Health Policy and inaugurated a National Eye Health Committee, to ensure equitable access to quality eye care services in Nigeria’s health system.

The Minister of State for Health, Dr Adeleke Mamora, represented by Dr Omobolanle Olowu, Director Special Projects, Public-Private Partnerships and Diaspora (DSP/PPP and Diaspora), inaugurated the policy, in Abuja, on Thursday.

Mamora said the policy was to scale-up existing eye healthcare services in the country.

He added that lack of awareness and inaccessibility to eye care was a possible reason why many Nigerians are visually impaired.

According to him, the National Eye Health policy is Nigeria’s first comprehensive National Eye Health Policy which scales-up existing eye health services and ensures that no one is left behind, through approaches that ensure equitable access to quality eye care services.

He  said it would help the country in the achievement of universal eye health, as a part of universal health coverage in Nigeria.

Mamora  said that the document had been adopted by the States and the Federal Capital Territory at the 64th meeting of the National Council on Health.

Mamora, reiterated the importance of vision to the socio-economic development of the people.

He said  that Nigeria, with other member states at the United Nations General Assembly recently, adopted the vision for everyone which formed accelerating action to achieve the sustainable development goals resolution,

According to him, it was aimed at committing the international community to eye health for the 1.1 billion people living with preventable sight loss by 2030.