Avoidable blindness and visual impairment are widespread in Kenya. However, urban and rural Kenyans often delay seeking treatment due to a lack of awareness and limited access to services. The unequal distribution of, and critical shortage of, eye health personnel, paired with poorly equipped public facilities, exacerbates low service uptake. This situation leads to over-reliance on out-of-pocket payments, creating inequity and leaving underserved rural populations highly vulnerable to economic shocks and lower productivity.
The project's primary objective is to strengthen the eye health system in Kenya.
The Eye Focus project uses a Market Systems Development (MSD) approach to tackle the high cost and limited access to eye healthcare in Kenya. According to the Theory of Change, if the private sector is incentivised to invest in last-mile services and partners with the public sector, more people will have access to affordable, quality eye care, reducing avoidable blindness. Rather than creating new, temporary structures, the core innovation is the systemic facilitation of existing market actors, such as optical shops and pharmacies.
The three most important activities of the project are:
Key stakeholders include private health providers and the Ministry of Health, and the ultimate beneficiaries are the underserved rural and peri-urban populations who will gain access to treatment.
The project will provide compelling evidence in support of national and county-level policy changes, particularly with regard to eye health budgeting.
The project is funded by The Fred Hollows Foundation and Novartis Foundation. It is part of the Swisscontact Development Programme, which is co-financed by the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC), Federal Department of Foreign Affairs FDFA.