President Bola Tinubu, on Friday in Abuja, he declared his unwavering support for a partnership between the Federal Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Program and the Peek Vision Foundation to provide more than 5 million pairs of glasses to vision-impaired Nigerians.
The President recounted how close to home his first intervention in eye health was when he made a commitment on behalf of the Federal Government during a courtesy visit from Peek Vision Foundation Founder and CEO and Vision Catalyst Fund Co-Founder, Andrew Bastawrous. .
“My first experience was with my mother of blessed memory. She was sick and couldn’t recognize me. When she intervened, she was attended to and given a pair of glasses. The next question she asked me was: I have you and you can do this for me. What about those other women and their children who may not have someone like you to step up for them?
“So I promised her that I would vigorously pursue the mass provision of eye care and offer free eye exams and surgeries to people because of the question my mother asked me and her passion to see others healed. Over time, we impacted the eye health of millions of people in Lagos, and you could see their joy at the immediate visual improvements when they were given a pair of glasses,” the president fondly recalled.
Highlighting the pressing need to improve eye health services in Nigeria, President Tinubu expressed concern for the more than 24 million Nigerians who face varying degrees of visual impairment.
“We must act now because sight and vision are critical for economic development and growth,” said the president, recalling his visionary “Jigi Bola” program, which was launched during his tenure as Executive Governor of Lagos State in 2001 and provided free vision. screenings and surgeries to the people of Lagos while setting a new precedent for proactive eye care initiatives in West Africa.
“I support this initiative and will encourage the mobilization of more commitment to take this forward and reach vulnerable people across our country. Some parents may not pay attention to this, but I will, because it moves me, “concluded the president.
Expressing his commitment to the cause, Bastawrous said:
“Good vision unlocks human potential. It improves the income, learning and well-being of individuals, communities and countries”.
He shared his personal story and the transformative power of vision care:
“When I was 12 years old, my teachers told me that I was clumsy and lazy, but the results of an eye exam revealed that I had very poor vision. And when I put on a pair of glasses, I saw the leaves of a tree for the first time, and my life changed completely and two weeks later, I was wearing my first pair of glasses for free and I saw stars clearly for the first time. . My grades improved and the trajectory of my life changed completely, all thanks to a very cheap procedure that is 700 years old. If that had not happened, I would not be in front of you today. I wouldn’t be a teacher and I wouldn’t be involved in the work I do because sight brings opportunities,” shared the executive director of the Peek Foundation.
Professor Bastawrous noted that eye care is still chronically under-resourced in many countries, adding that estimates in Nigeria show that 0.0002 per cent of the health budget is spent on eye health.
ALSO READ: Tinubu reaffirms support for public-private partnership to grow Nigerian economy
“The good news is that President Tinubu has an excellent team in the health sector and some of them have shown tremendous leadership in the sector. What we would like to offer is to bring our Peek Vision methodology and platform to Nigeria to help unlock resources from multiple sources. In the countries in which we have worked, Peek in Botswana unlocked 10 million dollars for the school program and in Kenya, 17 million euros. Through the Vision Catalyst Fund, we have secured a donation of 200 million pairs of glasses and we would like a significant proportion of that amount to reach Nigeria”, he concluded.
At the end of the event, the Coordinating Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Mohammed Pate, was accompanied by the Coordinator of the National Eye Health Program, Oteri Okolo, and the Director of Public Health, Chukuma Anyaike, in the presentation of a National Policy. Document on Ocular Health to the President.
ajuri angelale
special adviser to the president
(Media and advertising)
Read More Related News Here
Let hear it in the comment below if you do have an opinion on this; Tinubu approves initiative to provide five million glasses to visually impaired Nigerians