Blindness is a global problem, the socioeconomic impact of which does not only lead to the reduction of one’s quality of life but also reduces ones’ capabilities and usefulness in the family, community and nation at large.

It has been estimated that about 4% of the world’s population are blind - an estimated 314 million people. 90% of the blind are found in the developing countries. Blindness causes poverty and poverty causes blindness. The individual finds it difficult to find gainful employment and this leads to dependence on family members, the general society and on reliance on social welfare where available. 75% to 80% of blindness is avoidable of which cataract is responsible for over half.

The magnitude of blind people in Africa is not known but in Nigeria it is estimated that there are 1,130,000 blind people aged over 40 years. It is reported that 42 out of every 1000 adults aged 40 and above are blind. Overall 2 out of every 3 Nigerians are blinded by avoidable causes like cataract. Cataract is thus the leading cause of blindness. Currently 750,000 Nigerians are already blinded by cataract and an additional 200,000 become blind each year. Cataract is a treatable disease but poor access to medical facilities, lack of awareness by the public of the impact of the disease and financial constraints are problems facing a cataract patient. There are about 486,000 adults in Nigeria who are in immediate need of cataract surgery (The Nigerian National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey-booklets of results, 2005-2007). ¹

Prosight is leading the fight against blindness and is appealing to well-meaning Nigerians like you to partner with us to improve lives.