No fewer than 5,000 rural dwellers across Kolokuma/Opokuma and Okordia/Zarama communities in Bayelsa State are expected to benefit from a seven-day Vision First Plus community eye care and free medical outreach.
The programme is organised by Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited and its joint venture partners in collaboration with the Bayelsa State Ministry of Health, Eye Sight Foundation, NNPC Limited, TotalEnergies and AENR.
The outreach was flagged off at Kaima Referral Hospital in Kaima Community, Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area of Bayelsa State.
Speaking at the opening ceremony on Friday, Mr. Igo Weli, Vice President, Relations and Sustainable Development at Renaissance Africa Energy Company Limited, said the initiative is designed to enhance healthcare services for host communities.
According to him, the seven-day programme provides comprehensive and community-focused eye care services to residents in areas where the company operates.
He described Vision First Plus as a flagship offering under the company’s Health in Motion initiative, which delivers healthcare services directly to communities.
“Among many dimensions of health, vision stands out as both essential and often overlooked. Clear vision affects how we learn, earn a living, participate in society, and experience the world,” Weli said.
He noted that globally, 2.2 billion people live with some form of visual impairment, with nearly half of the cases preventable or treatable. In Nigeria, he added, about 24 million people are affected, many due to cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors.
Weli disclosed that insights from 30,000 screenings conducted under Health in Motion in the last five years showed that over 60 per cent of individuals presented with visual disorders. He said this informed the organisation’s decision to expand preventive healthcare services in underserved areas.
“Here in the Niger Delta alone, over 20,000 people have benefited from Vision First programmes,” he added, urging residents to take advantage of the free screening and treatment services.
Also speaking, the Commissioner for Health, Professor Seiyefa Brisibe, said the state government had strengthened primary healthcare delivery to ensure functional services across all wards.
He said the government was consolidating gains in disease prevention and called on beneficiaries to make full use of the outreach.
“Early screening saves lives, prevention reduces costs, and treatment improves longevity and productivity,” he said.
Brisibe commended healthcare professionals and volunteers for their dedication, noting that such programmes require precision, compassion and professionalism.
He added that the true measure of success lies in the lives transformed and the health outcomes improved across communities.
