REMARKS OF HON. WYCLIFFE OPARANYA, MP, MINISTER OF STATE FOR PLANNING, NATIONAL DEVELOPMENT AND VISION 2030 DURING UNIVERSITY OF NAIROBI’S DEPARTMENT OF OPHTHAMOLOGY ANNIVERSARY DINNER.

FELLOW invited guests, and alumni of the University of Nairobi and the University Eye Hospital Munich, I take this opportunity to thank you and the institutions you represent for sparing time to attend this memorable occasion.


It is my understanding that the University of Nairobi’s Department of Ophthalmology is celebrating two remarkable anniversaries. First, it is celebrating thirty years of twinning between the University Eye Hospital Munich and this University. That twinning arrangement has for all those years been supported by the German Exchange Service (DAAD). The Department is also celebrating 15 years of sponsorship programme for post graduate students in the field of Ophthalmology by Lions Foundation Bavaria South.

First of all, let me thank all the organizations that have joined hands to support the University of Nairobi’s training programmes in this critical field. Blindness is an expensive disease to cure. We all know that when we lose the ability to see, things fall apart and life is never the same. That is why I extend particular gratitude to the Federal Republic of Germany, the World Health Organisation and the Lions Foundation of Bavaria South for investing in such a worthy project and for supporting this premier academic institution to undertake postgraduate training in Ophthalmology. I also want to congratulate the University of Nairobi for the quality of its work that made its department of Ophthalmology attain the status of WHO Collaborating Centre for Prevention of Blindness in May 1991.

I am aware that the Department has trained over 86 ophthalmologists from fourteen different African countries since 1978 when it started. I am aware that the Department is in the process of developing an East African College of Ophthalmology (EACO) together with the Universities of Dar es Salaam, Makerere, Moshi and Mbarara. It is a development we look forward to with a lot of pride.

I am informed that that already, the proposed East Africa College has a Secretariat hosted in this department. Part of the project includes building of a University of Nairobi Teaching Eye Hospital.

This anniversary could not have come at a more appropriate time. In January next year, just about a month from today, the WHO Executive Board will meet at its headquarters in Geneva to review progress on the draft action plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. I am told the draft has been completed and was submitted to WHO Governing Bodies.

During the Sixty-first World Health Assembly held this year, the development of the action plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment was proposed with strong support by the African Region. The WHO Secretariat agreed to prepare a draft action plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.

For us in Kenya, it is institutions like the University of Nairobi and support of organizations like the Lions Foundation, WHO and the German Exchange Service that we look up to if we are to attain this global commitment on blindness.

I know that one of the core principles of this Department is to participate actively in the development of activities for the Prevention of blindness.

This university is also committed to making available on request the advisory services and expertise on eye care and to conducting field research on the epidemiology, management and operational aspects of avoidable blindness. I note with appreciation that DAAD supported this year’s Afro-German-Eye Net being held at the College of Health Sciences and at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Progressively, blindness is becoming a problem in Kenya. Currently, Kenya's national blindness prevalence is estimated to be about 0.7 per cent or 250,000 people, with corneal opacity contributing to 19 per cent cases of blindness.
Currently, a single corneal transplant costs between Ksh134, 000 ($2,094) and Ksh167, 500 ($2,617), a cost many Kenyans cannot afford. That is why we take efforts to prevent blindness very seriously. I am aware some organizations, specifically the Lions Club has set up an Eye Hospital in Nairobi and an eye bank.

While we appreciate such initiatives, our best bet is to strengthen programmes that can control of the major disorders leading to blindness. Our future lies in the development of infrastructures, of eye care programmes and of training and continuing education for ophthalmic staff. WHO projects that 75 to 80 per cent of cases of blindness can be prevented. We need to emphasize prevention. After all, it is you, the medical scholars, who informed us that prevention is better than cure. But we also know that the university and the healthcare facilities in the country have many challenges as they seek to eradicate blindness. There is shortage of personnel. There is also shortage of equipment and supplies. That is why I want to once again thank those donors who have kept this department running.

I know that apart from its key role of training medical workers, the Department of Ophthalmology participates in community work and restores sight to many people in remote parts of Kenya. Since its inception, the Department has provided outreach services in Garissa, Litein, Narok, Kitui, Mutomo, Meru, Muranga, Mwea, Muthale, among others. I congratulate you for this dedicated service and appeal to you to keep it up. This is an excellent example of how to link university programmes and the community.

I want to assure the university and its support agencies that as a government, we recognise that there are challenges the Department has to put up with, the most important being over stretched facilities. There is shortage of clinical teaching space and lack of a resource centre to support community eye health research planning for prevention of blindness. The Department has space for only 30 post graduate students at the rate of 10 students per year. Because of the high demand from poor sub-Sahara nations, the Department currently has 36 students.

As a government, we will do our best to assist the Department and I appeal to all the eye care partners to support this noble prevention of blindness project in the spirit of “To see is to believe.”

Thank you all.