No fewer than 500 residents of Agbeda and Imadin communities in Ilesa West Local Government Area of Osun State have received free eye care services through the Vision Without Borders 2.0 programme organised by the R.E.T.I.N.A Initiative.

The two-day outreach, conducted in partnership with community stakeholders, offered beneficiaries free eye examinations, reading glasses, medications and referrals for advanced treatment where necessary.

In addition to providing direct medical services, the programme focused on strengthening local healthcare capacity by training community health workers at Ifesowapo Agbeda Primary Health Centre and Imadin Primary Health Centre in basic visual acuity testing.

To support continued eye care services, visual acuity charts were donated to both health facilities to aid the early detection and referral of residents experiencing vision problems.

Speaking on the intervention, co-founder of the R.E.T.I.N.A Initiative and optometrist, Dr. Babatunde Bale, said the programme was designed to complement existing healthcare structures in underserved communities.

“This programme is about supporting what already exists in our communities. The primary health centres, health workers and community leaders form the foundation. We are simply providing additional eye health support and leaving behind tools that will continue to serve the communities long after the outreach,” he said.

Findings from a post-intervention survey showed that 56.41 per cent of beneficiaries had never used reading glasses, while 21.61 per cent were unaware they needed them.

The survey also revealed that 83.35 per cent of participants already understood the benefits of reading glasses for improving near vision, indicating that limited access to eye care services remains a more significant challenge than awareness.

Bale noted that the initiative was supported through the Global Youth Mobilisation Fund, a platform backed by international organisations including the World Health Organization (WHO), the United Nations Foundation and the European Union Youth Empowerment Fund.

Beneficiaries expressed appreciation for the intervention, describing it as life-changing.

A resident of Imadin community said she had repeatedly sought treatment for eye problems but could not afford corrective glasses until the outreach provided them free of charge alongside medication.

Another beneficiary from Agbeda community said persistent eye irritation and difficulty reading small texts had affected her ability to use her mobile phone, adding that the reading glasses received during the programme significantly improved her vision.

The outreach also received the support of traditional leaders, including the Sapakin of Ikoti Ilesa, Chief Alonge Oludare; the Onibosini of Ibosini, Chief Olusegun Badejoko; and the Onimadin of Imadin, Chief Olamilekan Adebanji, who encouraged residents to take advantage of the free healthcare services.