Dubai: UAE-based non-governmental, non-profit organization striving towards eliminating all types of avoidable blindness and visual impairment across the globe, Noor Dubai Foundation has launched an eye screening program in all elementary schools in Katsina, Daura and Funtua towns of Katsina state Nigeria, as part of its ongoing comprehensive eye care program, which was launched in the state in 2019.
Noor Dubai is partnering with the Katsina state Ministry of Health, Nigeria the State Ministry of Education and State Universal Basic Education Board to execute the Initiative.
As a lead up into the program, a baseline cross-sectional research to measure the prevalence, magnitude and types of refractive error and other eye diseases among the pupils was organized in the state in February and March.
The Program intends to expedite the merits of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) No.3 – Good Health, No. 4 – Quality Education and No. 5 Gender Equality.
The Initiative is an attempt to increase access of eye care to school children and their teachers in view of the significance of sight in the psychological, social and academic development of children.
THE PROGRAM
The School Eye Screening Program will cover 160,000 elementary school pupils and 3,000 teachers within a short period of 18 months. Students and Teachers will be screened for eye diseases and refractive error. T
he screening will cover the whole of the 194 public elementary schools in the big cities. 8 school teachers will be trained to conduct the screening under the supervision of 8 experienced ophthalmic nurses.
REMEDY
The Program will provide Free Spectacles to over 3,000 pupils and teachers who may need to wear glasses as part of their treatment. 3 Optical Workshops will be developed to provide these glasses, and 12 vision venters will be set up across the state to improve access to refractive error services as the disease is the major cause of visual impairment.
The Initiative is an important component of Noor Dubai’s participation in the Global Council of the United Nations SDG (Sustainable Development Goals), a network of decision makers from governments, international organizations, academia, and the private sector uniting to share innovative practices and discuss the creative implementation of the 17 SDGs at National and Global Landscapes.