14/08/2026
Through the just-launched Kenya Presbyopia Programme, we have begun the countywide distribution of about 10,000 pairs of reading glasses, as we integrate primary eye care into routine community and primary healthcare. With our Community Health Promoters (CHPs) identifying people with eye conditions and referring them to health facilities for screening, diagnosis and appropriate prescription by trained healthcare providers, we are taking essential eye care closer to the people—into health centres, dispensaries and community outreaches.
Beyond providing glasses, this is a deliberate shift towards demedicalising access to reading glasses while strengthening the continuum of eye care from the community to the health facility. By promoting early identification, timely referral and appropriate intervention, we are addressing avoidable visual impairment and contributing to the prevention of avoidable blindness, ensuring that poor vision does not become an unnecessary barrier to learning, work, independence and quality of life.
