From Left: Dot Glasses Senior Marketing Manager Oliver
Mwanko, Chief Executive Officer Bradley Heslop donate 150 pairs of glasses to the chairman
of Kenya Association of Opticians, Njani Ndiritu, during the launch of Enjoy Vision
2025 in Nairobi on April 4, 2025/HANDOUTA school screening initiative has highlighted the urgent need for increased access to eye care for children across Kenya.
Findings of the 2024 World Sight Day (WSD) School Screening Initiative led by Kenya Association of Opticians (KAO) urged enhanced efforts to provide affordable and accessible eye care solutions to school-going children.
A total of 822 individuals, including 730 schoolchildren and 92 school staff, were screened.
The study said 20 per cent of those screened showed low visual acuity, while 30 per cent of schoolchildren exhibited non-refractive eye conditions such as allergies and photophobia.
“These findings emphasise the critical role of school-based eye screenings in detecting and addressing visual impairments early. Without intervention, poor vision can negatively impact a child’s education, social participation, and long-term opportunities,” a report of the study said.
Dot Glasses, a social enterprise committed to making eyecare locally accessible and affordable to millions, supported the study conducted by KAO alongside the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, the Ministry of Health-Eye Section, Gertrude’s Children’s Hospital, Dr. Agarwal’s Eye Hospital and Old Mutual Insurance.
World Sight Day, observed annually on the second Thursday of October, is a global event meant to draw attention to blindness and vision impairment
Dot Glasses noted that aside from screening, the WSD Enjoy Vision 2024 campaign successfully provided free vision assessments and prescription eyewear to children in need, raised awareness about preventable and treatable vision impairments through community engagement, and trained educators and non-teaching staff on early detection of eye conditions in school children.
It added that the campaign also strengthened partnerships with stakeholders, paving the way for nationwide school vision screening programmes.
“Ensuring that children have access to vision correction is
not just about eye health, it’s about giving them a future where they can
learn, participate, and thrive without unnecessary barriers,” said Bradley
Heslop, Co-founder and Co-CEO at Dot Glasses.
Globally, an estimated 450 million children require treatment for various eye conditions, with approximately 90 million living with significant vision loss.
Studies show that 62 per cent of visual impairments among Kenyan children are due to uncorrected refractive errors, a preventable and treatable condition that, if left unaddressed, can limit academic success and future opportunities.
This is to the extent that children with poor vision are three times more likely to fall behind in school.
