The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has begun a week-long free eye care programme in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, as part of its Noor ophthalmic volunteer initiative.
Gatekeepers News reports that outreach, organised by the King Salman Humanitarian Aid and Relief Center (KSrelief), kicked off on Friday at the soon-to-be-inaugurated Makkah Specialist Eye Hospital and is scheduled to run until August 7.
This initiative aims to improve access to quality eye care services in underserved communities. Over 4,000 individuals are expected to benefit from services such as advanced eye screenings, cataract surgeries with intraocular lens implants, treatment for refractive errors, and free prescription eyeglasses.
The ongoing programme is part of Saudi Arabia’s broader humanitarian effort to combat preventable blindness. Since its launch in 2019, the Noor initiative has delivered more than 218,000 eye screenings, facilitated over 21,000 vision-restoring surgeries, and distributed over 45,000 pairs of eyeglasses globally.
In Nigeria, previous phases of the project have been conducted in Yobe, Kano, Bauchi, and Lagos states. The Ibadan phase marks another key milestone in KSrelief’s mission to enhance eye health across the country.
KSrelief, established in 2015, has carried out over 3,600 relief interventions across 108 countries, including ongoing blindness prevention programmes in Yemen, Sudan, Bangladesh, and Mauritania.
Beneficiaries in Ibadan have welcomed the initiative with gratitude. One recipient, who had struggled with eye problems for nearly three decades, received free diagnosis and treatment.
Another elderly woman, who could not afford proper eye care, described the outreach as a major relief, noting that many older people in the community are benefiting from the free services.
The initiative has drawn large crowds, particularly elderly residents, who view it as a rare opportunity to access much-needed medical attention.
