To mark World Sight Day, world-first research reveals that delivering six simple, cost-effective eye health priorities like eye tests in schools and distributing on-the- spot reading glasses could unlock a Ksh 33 billion boost for the Kenyan economy every year, with a Ksh 1,300 return for every Ksh 130 invested.
The global Value of Vision report by IAPB, Seva Foundation and Fred Hollows Foundation, was launched during the United Nations General Assembly at a high-level meeting hosted by IAPB and The United Nations Friends of Vision Group.
For World Sight Day, IAPB’s Love Your Eyes campaign has launched the exclusive national data showing how Kenya can benefit from prioritising eye health, urging everyone to love their eyes by getting an eye test.
About 7.5 million people in Kenya live with avoidable sight loss. The personal and economic costs of sight loss are wide-ranging, including unemployment, lower educational attainment, reduced income, increased caregiving burden that predominantly falls to women, mental ill health, and increased risk of injury and illness.
For Kenya, a Ksh 3.3 billion investment in delivery would generate annual gains of over Ksh 33 billion, including:
- A KSh 19.7 billion from improved occupational productivity
- A KSh 5.3 billion from increased employment
- Education gains are equivalent to 8,628 extra years of schooling
- A KSh 3.3 billion boost from averted caregiving
The report lays out six priority areas for governments to prevent sight loss: early detection through vision screenings in the community, giving out reading glasses on the spot where needed, increasing capacity in the eye health workforce, boost surgical productivity and teams, removing barriers to accessing eye health like cost, distance and stigma, and making cataract surgery even better with innovative training techniques, wider use of biometry and stronger minimum post-operation care standards.
Senator Crustal Asige, Secretary General of the Kenya Disabled Parliamentarians Association and Chairperson for Persons with Disabilities in the Kenya Women Parliamentary Association, says: “We often take our sight forgranted, but I know first-hand that it’s a gateway to everything, from education to earning a living – it is a matter we can no longer overlook. The researcher is clear: investing in eye health brings significant returns for our entire county. As decision-makers, we must commit to implementing proven, cost-effective eye health priorities, like providing vision screenings in schools and distributing reading glasses wher they are needed most. By doing so, we will ensure that every Kenyan has access to the care they need, unlocking a healthier and more productive future for all.”
Victor Opiyo, President of the Optometrists Association of Kenya (OAK), says: “This research underlines what we see every day in clinics across Kenya: the solutions to sight loss are simple, affordable and life-changing. With the right investment, we can not only restore vision for millions of Kenyans but also unlock billions for our economy. Eye health is not a luxury – it is essential to education, productivity and the dignity of our people. By prioritising vision, Kenya can ensure that no child is held back in school, no worker loses their livelihood, and no family carries an unnecessary burden of care.”
Peter Holland, CEO of IAPB, says: “Sight loss is a truly universal problem that impacts every part of our lives. But we have clear solutions. Most sight loss can be prevented with simple and affordable interventions like expanding sight tests, providing glasses and improving cataract surgery. This World Sight Day, we urge everyone, from governments and businesses to schools and families, to make eye health a priority. The evidence is clear: by investing in vision, we invest in our future.”