Nigeria

Blindness in Nigeria

Nigeria is located on the west coast of Africa along the Gulf of Guinea and is the sixth most populous country in the world. It has one of the largest economies in Africa, however, many Nigerians suffer from an unequal distribution of healthcare.

Over 80% of the nation’s ophthalmologists work in urban areas, even though 70% of the entire population lives in rural areas. As a result, ophthalmologists are in short supply throughout the country. On the national level, Nigeria has an average of roughly 2-8 ophthalmologists available per one million people. The 5 leading causes of blindness in Nigeria are cataracts, glaucoma, river blindness, diabetic retinopathy, and uncorrected refractive errors, all of which are preventable conditions with the right medical care.