Kaduna begins free eye screening for 1,000 residents

Photos of residents of Gonin-Gora during the eye screening exercise on Thursday. Photo credit: Godwin Isenyo

The Kaduna State Government, in collaboration with Sightsavers and other partners, has commenced a free eye screening exercise targeting 1,000 residents across the state.

The exercise, held at Gonin-Gora, Chikun Local Government Area, on Thursday, was organised to mark the 2026 World Sight Day with the theme, “Love Your Eyes.”

Speaking during the exercise, a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Senior Lecturer at Kaduna State University, Dr Stanley Bulus, warned residents against glaucoma, describing it as a “silent thief of sight.”

Bulus said the screening was aimed at detecting eye problems early and providing treatment or referral where necessary.

He said, “Glaucoma will come quietly and steal the sight. If you do not avail yourself of the opportunity to be screened, you may be discovered very late when we can do little.

“But if we are able to get you early, we will be able to institute management and you will be able to live with your eyes.”

He identified cataract, glaucoma, eye infections, presbyopia and allergic conjunctivitis among the common eye conditions being detected during the exercise.

Bulus said between 500 and 700 people were expected to benefit from the Gonin-Gora screening, while other outreaches would help the state achieve the overall target of 1,000 residents.

He added, “We informed the people that we were coming to conduct general screening of their eyes to see whether there are challenges and the problems we can solve on the ground.

“We thank God that the people of Gonin-Gora have been receptive to our coming. They have given us a lot of cooperation and have come out en masse to participate.”

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The Vice Chairman of the Kaduna State Eye Health Committee, Dr Fatima Mahmud, urged residents to undergo eye examinations at least once a year, warning that some sight-threatening conditions could develop without pain or obvious symptoms.

Mahmud said, “People should not wait until something is wrong with their eyes before going to the hospital. Eye screening should be part of our regular health checks.”

She disclosed that the Kaduna State Eye Health Programme had trained community eye-health workers to identify people requiring care and link them with appropriate health facilities.

Also, the Sightsavers Programme Officer for Eye Health, Barbara Anang Marok, said the organisation was using the World Sight Day to increase awareness and improve access to eye-care services.

Marok said, “It is a day that has been specially set aside to create awareness around eye health so that people can take their eyes seriously.

“We are conducting this community screening outreach to ensure that people have access to screening services and understand how basic and simple it can be as a way of prevention.”

The District Head of Gonin-Gora, Hon. John Yusuf Sarki, who benefited from the screening, commended the organisers for taking the service to the community.

He said, “I have been tested and given eyeglasses and medication. When I tested them, they were very, very perfect and okay for me.”

The officials urged residents to prioritise regular eye checks, noting that early detection and treatment could help prevent avoidable blindness.

This year’s World Ight Day, featured sensitization road walk attended by health stakeholders, eye specialists and relevant partners.