West Pokot residents to benefit from new eye health programme

In a county with more than 40,000 people living with blindness, mostly women, eye health should be a basic and urgent need.

But surprisingly it is not, in West Pokot County. That might change as The Fred Hollows Foundation is set to launch a new community eye health program, powered by Peek Vision’s innovative software and data intelligence platform.

In statement, the foundation said this initiative marks the beginning of a strategic partnership with Peek Vision, aimed at leveraging technology and data to enhance access and improve quality of eye health services in Kenya and beyond, in support of universal health coverage.   

In West Pokot, approximately 41,932 people are living with avoidable blindness with women being affected the most, the foundation said.

The new programme will harness the high-quality, near real-time data provided by Peek’s tools to optimize eye care services in the county, the statement said.

Through the use of smartphone vision screening tools, local eye health providers will be able to identify patients in the communities and more effectively track their service uptake journey.

The software will automatically send text message reminders to those needing further treatment, ensuring better attendance at appointments and allowing service managers to access valuable data to improve efficiency and reach underserved populations.

Peek Vision Kenya country director Dr Hillary Rono said: “As an eye surgeon working in rural Kenya, I see firsthand every day the huge need for quality eye care. The Fred Hollows Foundation is a leading eye health provider in the region, and we hope Peek’s vision screening software and data intelligence will help them connect even more people with life-changing treatment.”

The Fred Hollows Foundation Kenya country manager Peter Milo said: “The Fred Hollows Foundation is committed to bringing quality eye care to every corner of Kenya. By partnering with Peek Vision, we can ensure that the people of West Pokot receive the eye health services they need, when they need them. This programme is a crucial step toward our broader mission of making eye care accessible for all.”

Peek Vision, a not-for-profit social enterprise, is a pioneer in using technology to strengthen eye health systems. Originally developed in Kenya, Peek's tools are now used across Africa and Asia, helping millions of people access the eye care they need.

In Kenya alone, Peek is working with the Ministry of Health, CBM Christian Blind Mission, The Fred Hollows Foundation, and other partners as part of the Vision Impact Project, a four-year initiative across seven counties designed to reduce avoidable visual impairment and blindness.

“Peek Vision was born out of the desire to make eye health services accessible and efficient, no matter where people live,” Dr. Rono said.

“We are excited to collaborate with The Fred Hollows Foundation in West Pokot and to continue our work in transforming eye health services worldwide.”

Volunteers will use smartphones to perform eye screenings, ensuring accurate data collection.

The gathered data will be stored and can be analysed by programme managers, enabling seamless follow-up.    

The software will automatically send text message reminders to individuals who need further treatment, helping to improve      appointment attendance rates.

Timely data insights provided by the software show eye health providers which patients are not reaching care, to help them optimise services.