A new report by the global International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and the Seva Foundation shows that each school day, 86,000 Kenyan children struggle with eye health challenges including refractive errors like short or long-sightedness or astigmatism, unable to see blackboards and books, thus destabilizing their learning processes. These children would on average learn twice as much if they had their vision corrected.
Titled ‘Better Education in Sight’, the report, prepared by the IAPB and Seva Foundation also outlines estimates of global learning and economic productivity losses arising from uncorrected vision among school children. The first of its kind, the report estimates Kenyan children lose nearly 25,000 years of schooling every year due to poor vision.
Supported by the Optometrists Association of Kenya (OAK) and released to mark World Sight Day 2024, the report notes that addressing child eye health holds immense potential gains for Kenya’s economy amounting to over KES 14.7 billion annually in additional earnings.
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According to the OAK President Dr. Victor Opiyo, good eye health translates directly into lifetime earnings for the individual. “For example, if a five-year-old is provided with glasses in primary school and continues to wear them until they are 18, they will earn, on average, 125% more lifetime income than if they never had their vision corrected,” he stated, adding that children’s vision is an incredibly important factor in their learning and life prospects.
Echoing his remarks, Peter Holland, IAPB Chief Executive Officer, pointed out that most often, refractive errors go uncorrected simply because they have not been detected.
“Many students do not have easy access to eye tests, or are not aware of the importance of getting their vision checked regularly. We urge health and education sector players to improve access to vision screenings and eyeglasses for school children,” he noted.
The Optometrists Association of Kenya conducted free eye screenings in six schools within the Mukuru Informal settlement in Nairobi in the run-up to World Sight Day 2024 and provided eyeglasses for students in need.