Using Peek technology on a smartphone, a Community Health Promoters screens people for eye conditions, register their contact details, issue referrals for further examination and management, and confirm appointments by SMS to ensure they do not miss their treatment appointment.
In Embu County, 100km north of Nairobi, the project in partnership with the County Department of Health and Ministry of Education is already making inroads in ending avoidable blindness.
By Andrew WilliamsIn Kenya, more than 328,000 people are blind with another 750,000 living with a visual impairment. Every year, about 14,500 new cases of cataract are discovered.
To help break the cycle, The Fred Hollows Foundation and its partners are having community-based health workers, including community health promoters (CHPs), participate in provision of eye health services at the community level.
The Foundation through, Christian Blind Mission’s funded Vison Impact Project (VIP), is training Community Health Workers to use innovative technology to find people in need of eye care. VIP aims at strengthening eye health systems through provision of comprehensive, inclusive, integrated and people-centred eye health services.
Using Peek technology on a smartphone, a Community Health Promoters screens people for eye conditions, register their contact details, issue referrals for further examination and management, and confirm appointments by SMS to ensure they do not miss their treatment appointment.
In Embu County, 100km north of Nairobi, the project in partnership with the County Department of Health and Ministry of Education is already making inroads in ending avoidable blindness.
In 2024 alone, we realised achieved the following:
• Screened: 111,169 (community) and 61,852 (school).
• Referred for treatment: 28,904 (community) and 11,752 (school).
• Operations: 301 (community) and 12 (school).
Community Health promoters/Workers go house-to-house to visit people who face barriers accessing eye health care in larger centres where the services are based.
The workers are drawn from the local communities they serve and travel vast distances to reach people like 25-year-old mother-of-two Roslin from Kamumu community.
Roslin has experienced itchy eyes since she was a child.
Smoke, which is commonly used for cooking, makes the itchiness and pain worse.
A Community Health promoter captures Roslin’s details through the PEEK platform so appointments and follow-ups can be registered.
The project also targets schools, where children are screened and entered into the system for treatment and follow-up.
The Fred Hollows Foundation Kenya Country Director Peter Milo said, School eye health is currently being implemented in Embu County.
The plan for 2025 is to conduct activities in the remaining 2 sub-counties (Mwea and Embu West). Embu County has 6 sub-counties.
The Vision Impact Project is one example of The Fred Hollows Foundation’s work to strengthen integrated people-centred eye care to protect the sight of those most in need through working with other key sectors such as Education.
With our partners, we are taking eye care to communities.
It also shows The Foundation’s commitment to using innovation and technology to transform people’s lives and address key eye health challenges.
Eye health is one of best health interventions we can invest in because sight restoration creates pathways for success at school through improved school attendance and education outcomes, the ability to earn an income and participate in economy development and a greater quality of life for patients.
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In Embu County, 100km north of Nairobi, the project in partnership with the County Department of Health and Ministry of Education is already making inroads in ending avoidable blindness.