Kenya Society For The Blind

Services offered

1. Division of ophthalmic services.
2. Production of eye drops.
3. School screening
4. Eye clinic
5. Optical services

DIVISION OF OPHTHALMIC SERVICES (DOS)



Division of ophthalmic services is a department within the Ministry of Health responsible for coordination of eye care services in Kenya. The program runs its activities with support from the Kenya Society for the Blind and Sight Savers International.

The broad objective is to reduce the incidence of preventable blindness in Kenya by providing preventive and curative Eye Care Services through the integration of Primary Eye Care into the existing Primary Health Care system in the Country.

The objective of the program is achieved through:



1. Provision and support to mobile services.

2. Co-ordination visits to the districts.

3. Human resource development and training

4. Provision of essential ophthalmic equipment to primary and tertiary eye units.

5. Provision of technical support to the vision 2020 initiative at the community and district levels.

6. Supply of eye drugs to the eye units



The major courses of blindness in the country include;

Cataract, trachoma, glaucoma, childhood blindness and refractive errors. Cataract is the leading cause.

The Kenya Opthalmic Programme provides Preventive and Promotive Eye Health Services through the following:

•Mobile eye clinics.

•Support to static eye clinics at the government hospitals

•Eye health information.

•Primary eye care project.

•Manpower support and development.

•Production of eye drops

The programme is divided into 11 zones, under supervision of zonal eye surgeons supported by ophthalmic cataract surgeons / ophthalmic clinical officers and ophthalmic nurses and supports 71 eye clinics in government hospitals.



Primary Eye Care (PEC)


The Primary Eye Care programme renders comprehensive eye services (CES) to all Kenyans. This is based under the fact that over 80% of blindness in Kenya is either curable or preventable. Primary Eye Care activities are therefore angled towards awareness creation on blindness, curative, preventive/promotive and rehabilitative services.

The implementation at district/community level is co-coordinated by District PEC Coordinator with an Ophthalmic Nurse, who is also responsible to the District Health Management Team.

The District Health Management Team and Rural Health Workers training have created enormous awareness on primary eye care services in rural districts with successes of the project being clearly evident on the ground.



Primary Eye Care activities include:

•Training District Health Management Teams through PEC sensitization and Rural Health Workers’ PEC training workshops in the Districts.

•Training Community Health Workers, traditional birth attendants and Community based rehabilitation officers in basic Primary Eye Care and prevention of blindness.

•Education of public through the production and distribution of eye health information through posters and leaflets



THE NATIONAL EYE DROP PRODUCTION UNIT


In the mid 1980’s the Kenya Prevention of Blindness Committee [PBC] identified the need for low-cost eye drops if the Ophthalmic Programme was to be sustained. Arising from this need the National Eye Drops Production Unit [NEPU] was established at the Kenya Society for the Blind, as a joint project with the Ministry of Health [MOH].

The unit started with the production of 12 assorted eye drops which were supplied to all government hospitals and some mission hospital. Currently the project has expanded its product range to twenty nine (29).

The unit produces a variety of quality and affordable ophthalmic products namely; Steroids/ Anti-inflammatory, Antibiotics, Diagnostics, Anti-Glaucoma, anti-allergy and artificial tears

The products produced include. Read more…..

For more information contact the address below;

Email: nepu@ksblind.org

Telephone: 020 350 5251

The Eye Clinic


The Eye Clinic at the Kenya Society for the blind headquarters in Nairobi west offers high quality but affordable eye care services. The clinic was started after realizing that the average person feared going to have their eye problems checked due to the fear of high health costs.

For now, the eye clinic operates only on Tuesdays at the Society’s clinic in Nairobi west, Barclay House, from 9:00am to 2:00pm and charges a minimal consultation and drug fees.

Outpatient services available include minor surgery, in-patients are referred to other hospitals with the relevant facilities. The thought of future expansion is being pursued, to become a fully - fledged National Eye Hospital.

KSB OPTICAL PROJECT



The optical project was started under the National Eye Drop Production Unit after it was felt there was a need to curb avoidable refractive errors that could lead to visual impairment. Initially, well-wishers donated used frames which were in turn dispensed free of charge to the public who required spectacles but could not afford.

The initial response was overwhelming; KSB saw the need to start a low cost spectacle project to serve the underprivileged. Well-wishers were approached and donated some of the instruments used to start the project.



Objectives of the project

•To give spectacles to the poor visually impaired children in all the integrated school Programmes in the country

•To provide quality and affordable spectacles to the public

•To repair broken spectacles at reduced charges

•To offer consultation service to clients about spectacles and their usefulness.



The project complements the Eye Clinic. Patients seen at the Clinic are referred to the optical shop to purchase low cost but good quality spectacles according to their prescriptions.