The Ministry of Health has raised alarm over the growing burden of eye problems among Ugandan children, warning that visual impairment remains a silent crisis undermining education and productivity. According to Ministry data, at least three in every ten Ugandans suffer from an eye condition, and in some districts, the prevalence is as high as five in ten.
Dr. Moses Muwanga, Assistant Commissioner for Disability and Rehabilitation in the Ministry’s Department of Community Health, noted that refractive errors, such as short-sightedness and long-sightedness, are the most common problems among people under 40, while older adults often experience low vision due to aging-related degeneration.
“We are strengthening community-based screening and referral systems through Village Health Teams (VHTs), who identify eye cases at the household level and refer them to health facilities for further management,” Dr. Muwanga explained on Monday. “At regional and general hospitals, trained ophthalmic clinical officers and specialists provide follow-up care.”
Currently, Uganda operates a National Optic Workshop in Entebbe, which processes optical prescriptions from across the country. Patients can obtain custom-made spectacles at a subsidized cost of UGX 50,000, compared to market rates ranging between UGX 500,000 and 800,000. Dr. Muwanga said the Ministry is scaling up its programmes to integrate eye health into school and community health interventions, in line with the National Eye Health Policy (2020) and the Health Sector Development Plan (HSDP III).
Schools have introduced “reading corridors,” simple vision charts painted on classroom walls, to help identify children with sight problems early. “We are providing spectacles and assistive devices such as white canes and artificial eyes for individuals with irreversible blindness or eye cancer,” he said.
The remarks came as Light for the World, an international organization supporting persons with disabilities, hosted a regional inter-country meeting at Imperial Resort Beach, Entebbe. The meeting brought together representatives from Ethiopia, Mozambique, and Burkina Faso to review progress under a 10-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Uganda’s Ministry of Health, now in its sixth year.
Silver Kasozi, Country Director for Light for the World Uganda, said improving eye health directly impacts education, social inclusion, and economic productivity.“ Eye health is not a standalone issue; it connects to how children learn, work, and interact,” he noted. “A child with good vision participates fully at home and school. Without it, they face exclusion, poor grades, and loss of confidence.”
Uganda currently has only about 60 ophthalmologists, translating to one specialist per 800,000–1,000,000 people, far below the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended ratio of one per 250,000. Despite increasing demand, government funding for eye health remains under 1% of the national health budget, according to Kasozi.
Light for the World supports eight districts through the provision of equipment, training, and advocacy for policy reform. One of its flagship initiatives, the School Eye Health Programme, trains teachers to conduct simple vision screening.
Wolfgang Gindorfer, Thematic Director for Child Eye Health and Uncorrected Refractive Errors at Light for the World, said the organization has introduced School Eye Health Focal Teacher training across several districts to improve early detection among learners. “Teachers are trained to conduct simple visual acuity tests and refer children for clinical evaluation,” he said. “Those diagnosed with refractive errors receive medical care or corrective lenses.”
The programme’s long-term goal, he added, is to institutionalize school-based eye screening through the integration of a School Eye Health Manual into Uganda’s national teacher training curriculum, developed in collaboration with the Ministry of Education and Sports. “This approach embeds eye health knowledge within the education system,” Gindorfer said. “Instead of training teachers on-site, all new teachers will graduate already equipped to detect vision problems.”
Light for the World has also worked with Makerere University and the Brian Holden Vision Institute to train Uganda’s first generation of optometrists, establishing a four-year degree programme followed by a one-year internship. About 25 students are enrolled each year, although most graduates join the private sector due to limited recruitment within government hospitals.
Eye care in Uganda is guided by the National Eye Health Policy (2020) and implemented under the Public Health Act (Cap. 281), which empowers the Ministry of Health to prevent and control diseases, including those affecting sight. The Persons with Disabilities Act (2020) also obliges government institutions to ensure accessibility and assistive devices for persons with visual impairment, while the National Inclusive Education Policy promotes equal learning opportunities for all children, including those with special needs.
However, stakeholders say limited public funding, inadequate staffing, and taxation on optical devices undermine progress. Gindorfer urged the Ministry of Finance to extend tax exemptions on assistive devices, such as spectacles and low-vision aids, similar to existing exemptions on wheelchairs and white canes.
“Spectacles are the most widely used assistive devices globally, yet they are not tax-exempt,” he argued. “Exempting them would make eye care more affordable, especially for children who struggle to learn because of uncorrected vision.”
To improve sustainability, Light for the World and the Ministry of Health are developing a training manual for midwives, nurses, and clinical officers to enable early detection of congenital eye conditions in newborns using basic tools like torches. They are also advocating for a fast-tracked referral system for life-threatening eye diseases such as retinoblastoma, allowing direct referrals to specialized pediatric ophthalmic units.
“The goal,” said Gindorfer, “is a national system where every child’s vision is checked as routinely as their weight or immunization status, because sight determines opportunity.” As Uganda strives toward Universal Health Coverage (UHC) under Vision 2040 and the Health Sector Development Plan (2020–2025), integrating eye care into primary health and education systems could transform millions of lives, ensuring that no child’s future is dimmed by preventable blindness.
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