School Eye Health
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Our school eye health program (SDG 4)
Operation Eyesight knows that vision plays a key part in a youth’s development – in fact, 80 percent of a child’s learning is visual. Vision screening for children in schools is integral to our mission.
That’s why our school eye health program is giving students more than just access to eyeglasses or sight-saving procedures; together we are giving paediatric patients the chance to attend school, build social connections and thrive.
As an international development agency that focuses on more than just children’s eye health and care, we encourage students to access local health services and foster life-long healthy habits.
It’s part of our focus on achieving the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including improving access to quality education and achieving gender equality.
In 2023, we screened more than 240,000 children from 1,133 schools across our countries of work through our school eye health programs.
Using the power of technology, we are training teachers to identify students with eyesight problems. In countries like Ghana, we train community health nurses to help deliver our school eye health programs. Through our partner facilities and referral networks, we connect students, schools and entire communities with eye health care and their local health care systems.
Together, by equipping staff and teachers to identify paediatric eye health issues and by creating a referral network with our partners, we are creating sustainable solutions that ensure families have access to eye health care long after a school vision screening project wraps up.
By the numbers:
School eye health program & Vision Screenings for Children
In 2023, thanks to the support of our partners, donors, staff and volunteers on the ground, we reached more than 240,000 students across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Zambia. By providing vision screenings for children and educators, we are able to build brighter futures together.
School Eye Health Program – Consolidated Stats Across Our Countries of Work
| Number of schools covered | 1,133 |
| Number of frontline workers trained in screening | 328 |
| Number of teachers trained in screening | 387 |
| Number of students screened | 240,571 |
| Number of students prescribed eyeglasses | 5,660 |
| Number of students who underwent surgical treatment | 266 |
| Number of students who received low vision devices | 22 |
