PRIMARY EYE CARE

REPORT ON STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING ON THE INTEGRATION OF PRIMARY EYE CARE SERVICES INTO THE RIVERS STATE PRIMARY HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

The stakeholders’ meeting on the integration of primary eye care services into the Rivers Sate Primary Health Care system held on the 13th of October, 2023 at the Rivers State Primary Health Care Management Board. This meeting was the first of its kind and in attendance were the Honourable Commissioner for Health, Dr Adaeze Chidinma Oreh, the Executive Secretary of the RSPHCMB, Dr Kinikanwo Green and other distinguished stakeholders and guests from the National Eye Health Programme, Federal Ministry of Health, State Ministry of Health, Hospitals Management Board, University of Port Harcourt, Rivers State University Teaching Hospital, Community leaders, different associations and non-governmental organizations. The aim of this meeting therefore is to sensitize the populace of the new health care service that will be incorporated into the primary health care system and to get their buy-in.

The integration of primary eye care into the primary health care system in Nigeria is an important step towards improving access to eye care services for the population. This integration aims to ensure that eye health is given equal priority and resources as other health conditions, leading to better overall health outcomes. It is targeted not only towards preventing blindness and visual impairment but also to rehabilitate the blind by improving independence and quality of life.

Rivers State is among the first working towards integrating these services into the Primary Health care system. One of the highlights of the meeting was the commendation from the National Coordinator/Director, National Eye Health Programme, Dr Oteri Okolo, represented by the Deputy Director, Dr Chimezie Obi-Mgbam, who in her speech reiterated the unalloyed support of the Federal Government to ensure that visual impairment and blindness are tackled in Rivers State. Another highlight was the presentation of the designed child eye care card (first of its kind nationwide), that will allow for scheduled visits of the child from birth to 16 years of age, to the health facility for proper and regular eye check-up. This is indeed a step in the right direction at achieving universal health coverage for all residents of Rivers State.