Vision Impact Project, Kenya
CBM, Christian Blind Mission
(
Non-governmental organization (NGO)
)
#SDGAction53632
Description
The Kenyan National Eye Health Strategic Plan 2020 - 2025 identifies cataract, refractive errors and allergies as major causes of eye disease and estimates that 15.5% of Kenyans (7.5 million people) have eye problems that require ophthalmic care to prevent loss of vision. Its against this background that CBM designed a four-year (Dec 2021 – Dec 2025) strategic initiative dubbed the Vision Impact Project (VIP). The overall goal of this project is to reduce the prevalence of visual impairment and avoidable blindness in target counties by 2025. This will be achieved through the delivery of comprehensive, integrated, inclusive, and people-centered eye care interventions leveraging on the Portable Eye Examination Kit (Peek) technology to reduce the burden of screening, provide real-time data, improve adherence to referrals through better patient referral tracking mechanisms, and facilitate access to other support services.
The project continues to increase access to quality eye services in Kenya by:
1. Supporting Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey in target counties to generate evidence for decision making and consequent planning for eye health services.
2. Providing opportunities for eye screening to estimated eight million people in the target counties both in communities and schools with persons identified with eye problems referred to different levels of care beginning with primary level.
3. Equipping primary and secondary health facilities.
4. Reducing human resource for eye health gaps through training opportunities to health workers on eye health related specialties.
5. Strengthening governance structures at the county and subcounty levels.
6. Improving infrastructure and ensuring availability of medical consumables.
CBM provides funds to the partners highlighted above for implementation of the project activities. The approach for the implementation of the project is as follows:
1. Screening in schools and communities' locations (Children and adults are screened and referred for further care if an issue is identified.
2. Provision of primary eye care at primary level facilities ; patients are triaged and referred to hospital if further treatment is needed.
3. Referral to secondary hospital where patients receive diagnosis , treatment and rehabilitation.
4. Tertiary hospital where patients receive specialist treatment and surgery
Glasses are dispensed to patients as required at optical shops
To ensure sustainability, besides capital investment in forms of infrastructure and equipment, the project has the buy-in from the National Ministry of Health Opthalmic Services Unit and signed memorandum of understanding between CBM and targeted county governments to institutionalize efforts, promotes networking among governmental ministries, departments and agencies and organizations representing persons with disabilities.
The project has a number of capacity building initiatives targeted at both the government and partners . These are:
1. Disability Inclusive Development training to healthcare workers including screeners
2. PEC training to healthcare workers including screeners
3. Ophthalmic skills upgrade training course to health care workers
4. Ophthalmic Nursing training
5. Cataract surgery refresher training
6. Cataract training course
7. Ophthalmic equipment maintenance skills transfer to biomedical technicians
8. Eye Health coordinators trained on eye health management and governance.
9. Public health facilities (sec and primary level) receiving support with consumables and medicine
The governance of the project is organized at different levels:
1. The CBM Steering Committee which constitutes of the Inclusive Eye Health (IEH) Director, CBM CEO, Regional Director, Kenya Country Office (KCO) Country Director (CD) and the programme manager for the inclusive eye health initiative. The committee holds quarterly meetings with a focus on the following core tasks: Leadership and general oversight, resource mobilization, model adjustment and Risk mitigation.
2. The advisory Committee whose membership constitutes of the Ministry of Health Opthalmic Services Unit, Partner CEOs, KCO CD, IEH Initiative, Special Needs Education Director, Director of Basic Education, CEO National Council for Persons with Disabilities (NCPWD), Peek Tech lead. Meetings are held quarterly meetings prioritizing the following tasks: Review performance, strategic guidance, address emerging issues, joint supportive supervision, eye health advocacy.
3. The implementation team which constitutes of CBM KCO, Implementing Partners representatives, Peek, County Health Management Team, County Eye Health Coordinators, Sub-County leads, County IT Officers, Ministry of Education (MoE). The team convenes monthly with the following core tasks: Plan, review, implement, monitor, report, coordinate/liaison with CBM & County team, and inform revision of plans as well as critical issues.
4. The County Eye Health Technical Working Groups that hold quarterly meetings and report to the implementation team and its membership constitutes County Eye Care Coordinator, MoH - county level, MoE - country level, Teachers Service Commission(TSC) - county level, Kenya Primary School Heads Association (KEPSHA), Curriculum Support Officers (CSO), DPO - county level, CRH, Hospital Manager, Director Eye Unit, Tertiary eye hospital, CEO, Project Manager, National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Kenya Society for the Blind (KSB), Others (e.g. private practitioner), Peek - Programme Management Associate and CBM KCO - Programme Coordinator . The core tasks of the TWGs include Review project plans, coordinate implementation, harmonize operations, supportive supervision, ensure reporting at all levels.
5. The Sub-County Implementation teams hold monthly meetings and report to the implementation team. Membership constitutes MOH - sub-county, MOE - sub-county, TSC - sub-country, Sub- County coordinator for primary level, non-government primary level representatives, Head Committee Unit representative (for CHVs), Curriculum Support Officers (CSO), DPO - sub-country, Sub hospital - Person in charge, Implementing Partners and CBM Programme Officers. The Core tasks of the teams are Plan, review, implement, monitor, report, coordinate/liaison with CBM & County team, and inform revision of plans as well as critical issues and also reporting into the Kenya Health Information System (KHIS).
6. The Technical Team reports to the advisory committee. Its membership constitutes representatives from the IEH Initiative, MoH OSU, MoE, Peek, AFES RPQM/PM. The team convenes Adhoc meetings on need basis as per set agenda. Other tasks include Standard & Quality Assurance, Technical Review/Audits, Capacity building, Supportive supervision, Tools development, CSOM, Equipment inspection.
7. The National Eye Health Working Group (NEHWG) –a multi-Sectoral forum that promotes coordination, sharing, learning, advocacy, resourcing, research, policy, systems strengthening etc. for eye health in Kenya. The working group convenes quarterly with the core tasks: Leadership and general oversight, resource mobilization, model adjustment, Risk mitigation.
There will be a detailed impact survey including an evaluation. The results and learning experiences of the project will then be incorporated into the planning of subsequent projects and improve the use of Peek in the long term. The impact survey will be carried out by an external consultant and refers directly to the feasibility study carried out in 2021.
African Inland Church Health Ministries, County Government of Bomet, Embu, Kajiado, Kiambu, Kwale, Meru, Vihiga, Essilor, Kenya Society for the Blind, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Public Service, National Council for Persons with Disabilities, Operation Eyesight Universal, PCEA kikuyu hospital, Peek Vision, Sabatia Eye Hospital, Tenwek Hospital, The Fred Hollows Foundation
SDGS & Targets
Goal 3
Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages
3.1
3.1.1
Maternal mortality ratio
3.1.2
Proportion of births attended by skilled health personnel
3.2
3.2.1
Under-five mortality rate
3.2.2
Neonatal mortality rate
3.3
By 2030, end the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases and combat hepatitis, water-borne diseases and other communicable diseases
3.3.1
Number of new HIV infections per 1,000 uninfected population, by sex, age and key populations
3.3.2
Tuberculosis incidence per 100,000 population
3.3.3
Malaria incidence per 1,000 population
3.3.4
Hepatitis B incidence per 100,000 population
3.3.5
Number of people requiring interventions against neglected tropical diseases
3.4
3.4.1
Mortality rate attributed to cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes or chronic respiratory disease
3.4.2
Suicide mortality rate
3.5
Strengthen the prevention and treatment of substance abuse, including narcotic drug abuse and harmful use of alcohol
3.5.1
Coverage of treatment interventions (pharmacological, psychosocial and rehabilitation and aftercare services) for substance use disorders
3.5.2
Alcohol per capita consumption (aged 15 years and older) within a calendar year in litres of pure alcohol
3.6
3.6.1
Death rate due to road traffic injuries
3.7
By 2030, ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health-care services, including for family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes
3.7.1
Proportion of women of reproductive age (aged 15-49 years) who have their need for family planning satisfied with modern methods
3.7.2
Adolescent birth rate (aged 10-14 years; aged 15-19 years) per 1,000 women in that age group
3.8
Achieve universal health coverage, including financial risk protection, access to quality essential health-care services and access to safe, effective, quality and affordable essential medicines and vaccines for all
3.8.1
Coverage of essential health services
3.8.2
Proportion of population with large household expenditures on health as a share of total household expenditure or income
3.9
3.9.1
Mortality rate attributed to household and ambient air pollution
3.9.2
Mortality rate attributed to unsafe water, unsafe sanitation and lack of hygiene (exposure to unsafe Water, Sanitation and Hygiene for All (WASH) services)
3.9.3
Mortality rate attributed to unintentional poisoning
3.a
3.a.1
Age-standardized prevalence of current tobacco use among persons aged 15 years and older
3.b
Support the research and development of vaccines and medicines for the communicable and non-communicable diseases that primarily affect developing countries, provide access to affordable essential medicines and vaccines, in accordance with the Doha Declaration on the TRIPS Agreement and Public Health, which affirms the right of developing countries to use to the full the provisions in the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights regarding flexibilities to protect public health, and, in particular, provide access to medicines for all
3.b.1
Proportion of the target population covered by all vaccines included in their national programme
3.b.2
3.b.3
Proportion of health facilities that have a core set of relevant essential medicines available and affordable on a sustainable basis
3.c
3.c.1
Health worker density and distribution
3.d
Strengthen the capacity of all countries, in particular developing countries, for early warning, risk reduction and management of national and global health risks
3.d.1
International Health Regulations (IHR) capacity and health emergency preparedness
3.d.2
Percentage of bloodstream infections due to selected antimicrobial-resistant organisms
Goal 4
Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all
4.1
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys complete free, equitable and quality primary and secondary education leading to relevant and effective learning outcomes
4.1.1
Proportion of children and young people (a) in grades 2/3; (b) at the end of primary; and (c) at the end of lower secondary achieving at least a minimum proficiency level in (i) reading and (ii) mathematics, by sex
4.1.2
Completion rate (primary education, lower secondary education, upper secondary education)
4.2
By 2030, ensure that all girls and boys have access to quality early childhood development, care and pre-primary education so that they are ready for primary education
4.2.1
Proportion of children aged 24–59 months who are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial well-being, by sex
4.2.2
Participation rate in organized learning (one year before the official primary entry age), by sex
4.3
By 2030, ensure equal access for all women and men to affordable and quality technical, vocational and tertiary education, including university
4.3.1
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, by sex
4.4
By 2030, substantially increase the number of youth and adults who have relevant skills, including technical and vocational skills, for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship
4.4.1
Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill
4.5
4.5.1
Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated
4.6
By 2030, ensure that all youth and a substantial proportion of adults, both men and women, achieve literacy and numeracy
4.6.1
Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex
4.7
By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development
4.7.1
Extent to which (i) global citizenship education and (ii) education for sustainable development are mainstreamed in (a) national education policies; (b) curricula; (c) teacher education and (d) student assessment
4.a
Build and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender sensitive and provide safe, non-violent, inclusive and effective learning environments for all
4.a.1
Proportion of schools offering basic services, by type of service
4.b
4.b.1
Volume of official development assistance flows for scholarships by sector and type of study
4.c
By 2030, substantially increase the supply of qualified teachers, including through international cooperation for teacher training in developing countries, especially least developed countries and small island developing States
4.c.1
Proportion of teachers with the minimum required qualifications, by education level
Goal 5
Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls
5.1
End all forms of discrimination against all women and girls everywhere
5.1.1
Whether or not legal frameworks are in place to promote, enforce and monitor equality and non‑discrimination on the basis of sex
5.2
5.2.1
Proportion of ever-partnered women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to physical, sexual or psychological violence by a current or former intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by form of violence and by age
5.2.2
Proportion of women and girls aged 15 years and older subjected to sexual violence by persons other than an intimate partner in the previous 12 months, by age and place of occurrence
5.3
5.3.1
Proportion of women aged 20-24 years who were married or in a union before age 15 and before age 18
5.3.2
Proportion of girls and women aged 15-49 years who have undergone female genital mutilation/cutting, by age
5.4
Recognize and value unpaid care and domestic work through the provision of public services, infrastructure and social protection policies and the promotion of shared responsibility within the household and the family as nationally appropriate
5.4.1
Proportion of time spent on unpaid domestic and care work, by sex, age and location
5.5
Ensure women’s full and effective participation and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making in political, economic and public life
5.5.1
Proportion of seats held by women in (a) national parliaments and (b) local governments
5.5.2
Proportion of women in managerial positions
5.6
Ensure universal access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights as agreed in accordance with the Programme of Action of the International Conference on Population and Development and the Beijing Platform for Action and the outcome documents of their review conferences
5.6.1
Proportion of women aged 15-49 years who make their own informed decisions regarding sexual relations, contraceptive use and reproductive health care
5.6.2
Number of countries with laws and regulations that guarantee full and equal access to women and men aged 15 years and older to sexual and reproductive health care, information and education
5.a
Undertake reforms to give women equal rights to economic resources, as well as access to ownership and control over land and other forms of property, financial services, inheritance and natural resources, in accordance with national laws
5.a.1
(a) Proportion of total agricultural population with ownership or secure rights over agricultural land, by sex; and (b) share of women among owners or rights-bearers of agricultural land, by type of tenure
5.a.2
Proportion of countries where the legal framework (including customary law) guarantees women’s equal rights to land ownership and/or control
5.b
5.b.1
Proportion of individuals who own a mobile telephone, by sex
5.c
Adopt and strengthen sound policies and enforceable legislation for the promotion of gender equality and the empowerment of all women and girls at all levels
5.c.1
Proportion of countries with systems to track and make public allocations for gender equality and women’s empowerment
SDG 14 targets covered
| Name | Description |
|---|
Deliverables & Timeline
Resources mobilized
Partnership Progress
Feedback
Action Network
Type of initiative
Share
Timeline
Entity
Geographical coverage
Other beneficiaries
Target Population- 8, 022, 371 (
Screening Target – 5, 326, 952 (with anticipation to connect 15% and 4% community and students respectively to eye care services)
Treated – 576, 523
Cataract Surgeries – 28, 091
Spectacles – 43, 804
The indirect target group includes ophthalmologists, cataract surgeons, general nurses, ophthalmic nurses, optometrists, community health workers, equipment technicians, low vision therapists, curriculum support officers, CHVs and biomedical engineers. This group will benefit from training, equipment, mobile phones with the Peek app, eye health operational rooms, transport and networks for greater synergy.
More information
Countries
Contact Information
Joyce Koech, Head of Inclusive Eye Health