Strengths, challenges and opportunities of implementing primary eye care in Nigeria

Nigeria has a high magnitude of blindness and visual impairment and in addition, there is inequity in accessing eye care. Primary eye care (PEC) activities in Nigeria have largely been donor driven and unsustainable partly due to primary healthcare (PHC) system challenges. Nigeria's current administration is implementing Universal Health Coverage through a revitalised PHC system. The WHO has recently piloted a PEC package for sub-Saharan Africa (WHO AFRO PEC package). Nigeria has the opportunity to leverage on the revitalised PHC and the recently developed WHO AFRO PEC package to implement equitable and accessible PEC and achieve universal eye health.