Sightsavers and Bloomberg Philanthropies have unveiled a new $75 million global initiative aimed at expanding access to quality eye care in Nigeria and other low- and middle-income countries, as well as in the United States.
The programme seeks to strengthen eye health systems by training health workers and teachers in basic vision screening, conducting eye examinations, distributing eyeglasses, and reaching communities, workplaces, schools, and out-of-school children through targeted outreach.
Speaking in Abuja on Thursday during the 2025 World Sight Day commemoration, themed “Love Your Eyes: People at the Heart of Eye Health” , Sightsavers’ Country Director, Prof. Joy Shua’ibu, said the organisation will collaborate with Nigeria’s Ministries of Health and Education to enhance vision and eye health services nationwide.
World Sight Day (WSD), observed annually on the second Thursday of October, raises global awareness about the importance of protecting and maintaining healthy vision.
Despite decades of progress the World Health Organization (WHO) notes that millions across the African region still face preventable vision loss due to limited access to care, inadequate infrastructure, and a shortage of trained specialists.
Under the Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative, the new programme aims to conduct vision screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses, and restore sight to about 250,000 individuals through cataract surgeries. Target countries include the United States, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria.
Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment aligns with Sightsavers’ global call for increased action to reduce preventable blindness and vision impairment, particularly from uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts — two of the world’s leading causes of avoidable vision loss.
Prof. Shua’ibu said, “Making eye care a priority will be transformational for people, communities, and nations. Good eye health can reduce inequities, keep more children in school, and enable adults to work productively. Access to glasses and cataract surgery will significantly boost learning outcomes and economic productivity.”
She added that prioritising vision and eye care in Nigeria could generate the equivalent of 70,641 additional school years, emphasizing that the new partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies builds on Sightsavers’ long-standing efforts to strengthen national health systems and promote inclusive development.
“We hope Bloomberg Philanthropies’ investment will spur further global and nation/al commitments. We need strong leadership, sustainable funding, and collaborative partnerships to make avoidable vision impairment truly avoidable”, Shua’ibu said.
Also speaking, Permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Daju Kachollom, described eye health as a cornerstone of human welfare, productivity, and national development — central to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Represented by the National Coordinator of the National Eye Health Programme, Kachollom urged Nigerians to p/rioritise regular eye check-ups, promote routine comprehensive eye exams, and serve as advocates for eye health in their communities.
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