DufuHS team treats 2,412 eye patients for free amid warnings of sight loss among Nigerians.
By Victor Nwegede, Abakaliki
The David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences (DUFUHS), Uburu in Ebonyi State, has revealed that no fewer than 24 million Nigerians are currently living with sight loss, with 84 per cent of cases linked to preventable causes.
Vice Chancellor of the institution, Professor Jesse Uneke, on Thursday disclosed this during a media engagement at the university’s Institute for Eye Health and Visual Sciences Research (IEHVSR), where he also announced that the university has treated 2,412 patients free of charge within the last six months.
According to him, findings from the Nigeria National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey indicate that about 4.2 per cent of Nigerians aged 40 and above are blind, while 4.25 million adults in that age group suffer moderate to severe visual impairment.
“Blindness in Nigeria is associated with increasing age, being female, and low literacy. Sadly, 84 per cent of these cases are avoidable, especially cataracts and refractive errors, which remain the leading causes of blindness in the country,” Uneke said.
Giving details of the university’s free eye care initiative, he noted that between February and August 2025, the DUFUHS Eye Centre attended to 918 men (38%), 1,302 women (54%), and 192 children (8%). Of the cases, 1,352 (56%) were refractive errors, 627 (26%) cataracts, 168 (7%) glaucoma, while 265 (11%) involved other conditions.
The Centre also performed 179 surgeries and distributed 1,000 eyeglasses—400 reading glasses and 600 prescription glasses to patients.
The Vice Chancellor stressed that the institution’s goal is not only to reverse medical tourism but also educational tourism, adding that DUFUHS, with support from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), had built an ultra-modern eye centre equipped for research, training, and patient care.
He further explained that the Centre operates with a multi-disciplinary team of ophthalmologists, optometrists, ophthalmic nurses, opticians, biomedical engineers, and ICT specialists.
Uneke noted that the DUFUHS Eye Centre aligns with the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative, which targets global access to affordable refractive error services.
“Our Free Eye Care Initiative has drastically reduced avoidable blindness and provided an opportunity for training, research, and patient care. We are committed to improving access to affordable eye care, especially for rural dwellers, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda,” he said.
He assured that the university would sustain its drive in research, teaching, and community development to tackle the growing burden of visual impairment in Nigeria.
