By Ebi Nieketien
The Vcare for Development Foundation (VCDF), with support from Sterling Oil Exploration & Energy Production Company Limited (SEEPCO), has flagged-off its Sustainable Primary Eye Care Services (SPECS) Programme in Ashaka, Ndokwa East local government area of Delta State.
The initiative, which provided free eye screenings, surgeries, medications and eyeglasses to beneficiaries, aimed at tackling preventable blindness caused by cataracts and other eye conditions.
Speaking at the event, the VCDF Programme Manager, Health, Mr. Phillip Ukemezia disclosed that the foundation had signed a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Delta State Government to implement the eye care initiative across the state.
He explained that the partnership with the Delta State Ministry of Health would strengthen access to free and sustainable eye care services, particularly for people living with cataracts and pterygium.
According to Ukemezia, SPECS was initiated in 2023 to integrate primary eye care into Primary Health Care Centres, using them as entry points to identify, screen and refer patients for treatment.
He revealed that assessments by the foundation showed that about 50,000 people in the state were currently living with cataracts, one of the leading causes of preventable blindness in Nigeria.
He further disclosed that the foundation has set a target of 5,000 cataract surgeries in Delta State by 2027, with a minimum of 1,000 surgeries to be carried out annually throughout the duration of the 10-year MoU.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman of Ndokwa East Local Government Area, represented by his Vice Chairman, Mrs. Cecilia Ekpo, described the programme as a life changing intervention for residents battling eye problems.
She noted that the intervention would bring relief to many residents who were unable to afford the cost of cataract surgery and other eye treatments.
The Delta rollout builds on the programme’s successful pilot phase in Akwa Ibom State in 2023, where 8,579 individuals received free eye screenings, 865 cataract surgeries were performed, and essential eyeglasses and medications were distributed.
