On 28 November 2024, the Lycée Moderne Yopougon Andokoi in Abidjan played host to a landmark event for children's visual health in Africa. The launch ceremony of the regional programme 'Eye Care for the Empowerment of Children in Africa’ (EYECA), organised in partnership with the National Eye Health Programme (PNSO), brought together key development players. This ambitious initiative, supported by organisations including the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB) and the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development (a subsidiary of the IsDB group) as well as Qatar Charity, aims to tackle preventable eye health problems, particularly Uncorrected Refractive Errors (UREs), in order to give every child the opportunity to reach their full potential.

A barely visible scourge: visual impairment in Africa

In Côte d'Ivoire alone, almost 14% of the population suffers from visual impairments, a large proportion of which could be prevented or treated. These disabilities have significant repercussions, particularly among schoolchildren, where they directly affect their academic performance and well-being. According to Dr Nguessan Koffi, Minister for Technical and Vocational Training, representing the Minister for Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Insurance, visual deficiencies are particularly high among young girls, highlighting alarming social and economic disparities.

In response to this challenge, the EYECA project is mobilising USD 3 million in funding to strengthen eye health systems in 13 African countries, including Burkina Faso, Chad, Guinea and Côte d'Ivoire. By 2029, the aim is to reduce visual impairments among primary and secondary school students by 25% and to improve access to appropriate eye care in the most vulnerable areas. The initiative is financially supported by several organisations, including the Islamic Development Bank, the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, Qatar Charity, the Arab Bank for Economic Development in Africa, Direct Aid, the Indonesian Agency for International Development and Secours Islamique France.

The Ambitions of the EYECA Programme

The EYECA (Eye Care for African Children) project is a continuum of the second generation of the Alliance to Fight Avoidable Blindness (AFAB-II). It focuses on four major areas:

1.  Capacity building: Training teachers to detect visual disorders at an early stage.

2.  Improving detection systems: Deploying mobile clinics to cover remote areas.

3.  Access to medical care: Provision of corrective glasses to 320,000 pupils and 37,000 teachers, treatment for 76,000 children, and 4,000 surgical operations.

4.  Awareness-raising: Community campaigns to promote regular eye check-ups.

During the pilot phases, carried out in countries such as Niger and Togo, it was revealed that 3 to 4% of children require eye care, according to Mr Naciri, AFAB II Project Coordinator. However, economic, social and cultural barriers still prevent many of them from accessing these services.

Major Local and International Mobilisation

The presence of several prominent personalities and committed partners graced the project's launch. Mrs May Ali Babiker, Director of Cooperation and Capacity Development at the Islamic Development Bank, hailed it as a “historic” moment, underlining the importance of this programme for social and economic inclusion in Africa. She also called for this spirit of solidarity between partner organisations to be perpetuated.

Meanwhile, Mr Yousef Bin Ahmed, representing Qatar Charity, highlighted the “impact of sharing” and invited all those involved to consider this initiative as an investment in the future of African children. He noted that Qatar Charity, through its participation in this project, aims to ensure that “every child reaches their full potential”.

Mr Khalid Ahmed, representing the Islamic Solidarity Fund for Development, stressed that this initiative :

… is about empowering future generations. By restoring sight, we are not only restoring vision — we are restoring hope, dignity, and the opportunity for young people to contribute to the development of their societies.

Prof. Yéo, representing the Minister of Education, called for universal access to eye care for students, saying that this would directly contribute to improving their academic performance.

Following the official distribution of the eyeglasses to the beneficiary students, Miss Kouakou Emmanuella, a senior school student and representative of the beneficiaries, expressed her deep gratitude to all the stakeholders. She lauded this far-reaching act of solidarity, stressing that the glasses would help them overcome a significant obstacle to their educational pursuit while pledging this precious tool's responsible and judicious use.

The AFAB-II initiative is already yielding results

As part of the implementation of this programme, interventions by the Ministry of Health, Public Hygiene and Universal Health Insurance through the PNSO have made it possible to:

- Offer consultations to more than 53,000 adults during the various campaigns and to more than 250,000 children, including 34,000 in schools;

- Carry out 9,000 cataract surgeries;

- Distribute more than 3,000 pairs of eyeglasses to school-age children with severe ametropia;

- To receive 05 (five) study grants to strengthen the capacity of 03 (three) ophthalmologists in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy and glaucoma in Pakistan and 02 (two) biotechnicians in the maintenance of ophthalmological equipment in India.

Challenges and Prospects

Over and above its numerical targets, this initiative aims to empower future generations by giving them the tools they need to succeed. However, many challenges remain, mainly the high cost of eye screening and treatment. To maximise the impact of this laudable initiative, Dr Nguessan Koffi has called for the creation of a fund dedicated to visual health and for closer collaboration between local and international partners.

With such vast ambitions and strong mobilisation, the EYECA programme promises to be an essential catalyst for transforming the lives of millions of children in Africa, giving them a chance to contribute fully to the development of their societies.

IFMAG