Funmi Ogundare
No fewer than 500 residents of Agbeda and Imadin communities in Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State have benefited from a free eye care intervention organised by the R.E.T.I.N.A Initiative under its Vision Without Borders 2.0 programme.
The second edition of the two-day outreach held recently, in collaboration with community stakeholders, provided free eye examinations, reading glasses, medications and referrals for advanced treatment where necessary.
Beyond direct medical services, the initiative strengthened local healthcare capacity by training community health workers at Ifesowapo Agbeda Primary Health Centre (PHC) and Imadin Primary Health Centre in basic visual acuity testing.
Visual acuity charts were also donated to both facilities to enhance the early detection and referral of residents with vision challenges.
Speaking on the intervention, co-founder of The R.E.T.I.N.A initiative and optometrist, Dr. Babatunde Bale, noted that the programme was designed to complement existing healthcare structures in underserved communities.
According to him, “This programme is about supporting what already exists in our communities. The primary health centres, the health workers, the community leaders, these are the foundation. We are here to add a layer of eye health support where it has been difficult to provide, and to leave tools behind that will continue to be useful.”
Findings from a post-intervention survey revealed that 56.41 per cent of beneficiaries had never used reading glasses before, while 21.61 per cent were unaware that they needed them.
However, 83.35 per cent already understood that reading glasses could improve near vision, suggesting that lack of access rather than lack of awareness remains a major barrier to eye care.
The initiative, Bale stated, was supported through the Global Youth Mobilisation Fund, a platform backed by leading international youth organisations and partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations Foundation and the European Union Youth Empowerment Fund.
Beneficiaries who received treatment expressed gratitude for the intervention and its impact on their daily lives.
One resident from Imadin community said she had repeatedly visited a health centre for eye complaints but could not afford corrective glasses until the outreach provided them free of charge alongside medications.
Similarly, another beneficiary from Agbeda community said persistent eye irritation and difficulty reading small texts had affected her ability to use her phone, adding that the reading glasses received during the programme had significantly improved her vision.
The outreach also received the endorsement of traditional leaders, including the Sapakin of Ikoti Ilesa, Chief Alonge Oludare; the Onibosini of Ibosini, Chief Olusegun Badejoko; and the Onimadin of Imadin, Chief Olamilekan Adebanji, who encouraged residents to take advantage of the free services.
