$5.7m Eye Care Investment Projected to Yield $48m for Uganda’s Economy

A landmark financial commitment of over $5 million in eye healthcare is set to benefit more than five million Ugandans, expanding access to quality vision services across the country through 2031. The announcement was made during the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health held in St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda, co-hosted by several governments and the World Health Organization.

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) CEO Peter Holland emphasized that improving vision is an investment in human potential and economic growth. For Uganda, the fresh funding will directly support tele-ophthalmology expansion, research partnerships, and enhanced inter-sectoral coordination under the National Eye Health Strategic Plan.

According to the IAPB’s Value of Vision analysis, a strategic investment of $5.74 million in eye health between 2026 and 2030 could generate up to $48.2 million in wider economic benefits for the nation. The initiative aims to improve productivity, boost educational attainment, lower depression rates linked to vision loss, and decrease traffic accidents.

To operationalize the funds, Uganda plans to scale up its specialist workforce, expand community and school-based screenings, and broaden treatment programs for refractive errors and diabetic retinopathy. Julius Mujuni, Country Lead at VisionSpring Uganda, highlighted the importance of targeted outreach for high-risk manual labor sectors, such as agricultural workers and artisans, with a goal of providing corrective eyeglasses to 750,000 more people by 2030.

Read more about this initiative in the Daily Monitor.