Imagine a world where preventable blindness is a reality for millions. This is the stark truth in Somalia, where eye care services struggle to meet the needs of the population. But there's hope. World Sight Day 2025, with its 'Every Eye Counts' forum, aimed to change this narrative. This event, held at Dr. Sumait Hospital in Mogadishu, wasn't just about raising awareness; it was about taking concrete action to address the country's eye health crisis. And this is where it gets even more compelling: by combining community engagement with basic screening and structured referrals, the forum sought to bridge the gap between awareness and accessible care in a resource-limited setting.
The Challenge: A Perfect Storm of Barriers
Somalia's eye care landscape is fraught with challenges. Limited specialist availability, uneven access to essential services like refraction and cataract surgery, and delayed treatment for conditions like glaucoma and retinal diseases create a perfect storm of preventable vision loss. World Sight Day 2025 recognized this and positioned itself as a practical platform to address these issues head-on.
Every Eye Counts: Turning Awareness into Action
The 'Every Eye Counts' forum wasn't just a slogan; it was a call to action. It translated the 'Love Your Eyes' theme into tangible steps by linking community screening results to feasible service delivery priorities. These included improving access to refraction, streamlining cataract care pathways, implementing glaucoma triage, and establishing diabetic eye disease referrals—all within the constraints of a low-resource environment.
Community Screening: A Snapshot of Need
The forum organized a free eye screening that attracted 628 community members, with a strong turnout of women (59%) and school-age children (18%). This diverse participation highlighted both the unmet need for eye care and the community's eagerness to engage with accessible services. Screening included visual acuity tests, anterior segment examinations, and targeted posterior segment assessments for high-risk individuals, such as those with diabetes or hypertension.
Key Findings: Uncorrected Refractive Errors Lead the Way
The screening revealed a clear pattern: uncorrected refractive errors (41%) were the most prevalent issue, followed by suspected cataracts (23%), allergic conjunctivitis (19%), and glaucoma risk (9%). Among those needing refraction, presbyopia (age-related near-vision loss) was the most common issue, followed by mild myopia and hyperopia. Cases requiring custom spectacles, such as those with significant astigmatism or complex pediatric needs, were referred to local optometry services.
On-Site Interventions: Immediate Relief and Long-Term Solutions
The forum prioritized immediate interventions, providing 162 individuals with ready-made spectacles for simple refractive errors. Protective sunglasses were dispensed to 51 outdoor workers, and health education sessions reached an estimated 480 attendees, focusing on eye safety, routine checks, and recognizing early warning signs.
Referrals: Bridging the Gap to Specialized Care
A significant 21% of participants (134 patients) were referred for advanced ophthalmic evaluation, including cataract surgery, glaucoma assessment, diabetic retinopathy management, and pediatric ophthalmology. This structured referral system ensured that those in need could access specialized care, even in a resource-constrained setting.
Panel Discussion: Expert Insights and Practical Solutions
The heart of the forum was an interactive panel discussion moderated by Dr. Abdulsalam Ahmed Ga’al, featuring three esteemed ophthalmologists: Dr. Mohamed Siyad Hassan, Dr. Samia Hersi Ali, and Dr. Sadia Abdikarim. Their insights shed light on critical issues:
- Diabetes and Hypertension: Dr. Siyad emphasized the urgent need for community-based chronic disease prevention programs that integrate vision screening into non-communicable disease (NCD) management.
- Pediatric Eye Health: Dr. Hersi highlighted the importance of early detection and referral for conditions like refractive errors and squint, which can severely impact a child's academic and psychosocial development.
- Ocular Trauma: Dr. Abdikarim discussed practical prevention strategies, such as low-cost protective eyewear and community awareness, to reduce preventable vision loss among laborers and children.
Audience Engagement: A Unified Call to Action
The discussion resonated with attendees, who reinforced shared priorities: decentralizing eye care services, strengthening patient education, and investing in diagnostic tools like perimetry and optical coherence tomography (OCT). Workforce development through residency training and continuous medical education was also highlighted as crucial.
Conclusion: A Roadmap for the Future
World Sight Day 2025 at Dr. Sumait Hospital demonstrated the power of combining expert dialogue with practical service delivery. It generated actionable priorities for eye health in Mogadishu, including integrating eye checks into NCD clinics and schools, implementing clear referral protocols, and tracking referral completion to ensure timely treatment.
Recommendations: Building a Sustainable Future
The forum concluded with six key recommendations:
1. Strengthen the integration of eye health into Somalia’s primary healthcare and NCD programs.
2. Establish monthly cataract surgery days with standardized outcome monitoring.
3. Expand school eye screening to reach at least 10,000 students in 2025–2026, with teacher-led awareness sessions.
4. Introduce low-cost refraction and spectacle services at community clinics and mobile outreaches.
5. Create a national referral database to link hospitals for glaucoma and diabetic eye disease management.
6. Foster data sharing and research collaboration through SIMAD University and Dr. Sumait Hospital research units.
But here's where it gets controversial: While these recommendations are ambitious, their success hinges on sustained funding, political will, and community buy-in. Can Somalia's healthcare system overcome these challenges to ensure that every eye truly counts? What role should international organizations and donors play in supporting these initiatives? We invite you to share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments below. Together, we can turn the tide on preventable blindness in Somalia.
