Osun Govt Uncovers Alarming Eye Health Crisis Among Schoolchildren, Launches Free Treatment
Osun State Government has uncovered a widespread vision impairment crisis among schoolchildren, with over 42,000 pupils in public primary and secondary schools diagnosed with sight challenges.
This revelation emerged from the ongoing Imole School Eye Health Programme, a state-backed initiative aimed at addressing eye-related health issues among students.
The initiative, supervised by the Osun Health Insurance Agency (OSHIA), was initially designed to cater to 25,000 pupils but has since expanded as more cases emerged during screenings.
The free treatment covers corrective glasses, medications, and surgical interventions for severe cases.
Executive Secretary of OSHIA, Dr. Rasaq Akindele emphasized the significance of the discovery, noting that many affected pupils and their guardians were unaware of their visual impairments.
He said the screening has commenced simultaneously across six zones; Osogbo, Ede, Ikirun, Ilesa, Iwo, and Ila.
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Speaking with journalists while monitoring the treatment at the Osogbo Zone on Monday, Akindele, who expressed satisfaction with the exercise, commended the parents for releasing their wards for the screening.
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“This exercise has revealed that more than 42,000 pupils have eye challenges. The numbers are overwhelming, and this intervention will significantly impact their academic and social lives.
“I appreciate the parents for releasing their children to participate in this exercise. Quite a lot of pupils have eye challenges that they don’t know. And neither do their parents and teachers know.
“This is going to really impact on their education. We are capturing all pupils in public primary and secondary schools now. Subsequently, we will review and and know the way forward,” Akindele said.
Hafsoh Isiaq is a graduate of Linguistics. An avid writer committed to creative, high-quality research and news reportage. She has considerable experience in writing and reporting across a variety of platforms including print and online.
