WHO Urges Greater Action To Tackle Rising Vision Impairment In Africa
As the world marks World Sight Day 2025 today, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has called for renewed commitment and investment to prevent avoidable blindness and vision impairment across Africa.
The annual observance, held every second Thursday of October, aims to raise awareness about the importance of healthy vision.
This year’s message, delivered by Dr Mohamed Yakub Janabi, WHO Regional Director for Africa, underscores the urgent need to strengthen eye health systems and promote preventive care amid rising cases of avoidable blindness.
Dr Janabi noted that while the African Region has recorded significant progress in reducing vision loss caused by conditions such as vitamin A deficiency, onchocerciasis, and trachoma, new challenges are emerging due to ageing populations, poor lifestyles, low awareness, and the increasing burden of noncommunicable diseases.
“Good vision enhances well-being, learning outcomes, and productivity,” he said. “However, preventable causes like refractive errors and cataracts continue to pose major public health concerns.”
To address these, WHO has supported key global initiatives such as Vision 2020: The Right to Sight, the World Health Assembly’s 2021 resolution (WHA74(12)) on integrated people-centred eye care, and the SPECS 2030 initiative, launched in 2024 to ensure everyone has access to affordable, quality vision care by 2030.
In Africa, only 32% of countries currently have national policies addressing vision loss and blindness, with effective cataract surgery coverage standing at 26% and refractive error coverage at 30%.
These figures, Dr Janabi said, highlight “a major gap in access and equity that requires urgent policy and funding attention.
He urged governments to increase awareness, reduce stigma, and expand access to eye health services through sustainable financing, trained personnel, and the use of innovative tools like WHO Eyes, a free smartphone application for vision screening.
Marking this year’s World Sight Day, Dr Janabi encouraged Africans to adopt preventive habits, including regular eye checks and early treatment, stressing that “through collective action and awareness, the region can secure a future where everyone enjoys the benefits of good vision.”
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