Abdullahi Muritala (Lead Writer)
On a sunny day in April 2022, Memunat Aransiola, a petty trader, stepped out from her weary-roofed bungalow to pick up some items in the market. Suddenly, everything went from dim to blurry. The hot weather seemed to have triggered an eye defect she had. "I quickly called for support, and people passing by helped me cross the road. I could not see clearly. The motion of moving vehicles turns my eye easily," she said.
Memunat lived for two years with cloudy patches coating her lenses. Even though she tried seeking treatment in a cottage hospital in her hometown of Ajase Ipo, in Kwara State, she experienced no significant improvement in her condition. By the end of 2022, her small business came to a sudden halt when she suffered a temporary loss of sight, forcing her to pause her business operations.
In June 2024, Memunat was diagnosed with Cataracts during an annual health week organised in Ajase Ipo and was one of the 19 people selected to receive free eye surgery through an initiative by Opeyemi Mega Eye Clinic (OMEC) in Ilorin that has thrived since 2022.
Of heatwaves and eye sights
Studies show a significant link between prolonged exposure to high temperatures and the development of eye diseases such as cataracts and glaucoma. The Sahel region, particularly the northeast, experiences the highest temperatures, coinciding with the highest incidence of adult blindness.
In sub-Saharan Africa, cataracts account for 46% of blindness cases, while glaucoma contributes to 14%. In Nigeria, a national survey indicated that approximately 1.1 to 1.4 million adults aged 40 years and above have glaucoma, with about one-in-20 Nigerians in this age group affected. Alarmingly, 20% of Nigerians with glaucoma suffer from blindness.
According to Dr Shefi'u Garba, a senior ophthalmologist at Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital, Zaria, cataract can be cured using surgery and glaucoma can also be curtailed when it is diagnosed at the early stage before it leads to blindness.
Besides glaucoma and cataracts, the current climate conditions can trigger various eye defects, Dr Garba noted. The intense heat and constant dust exposure cause the eyes to lose moisture rapidly, leading to symptoms such as gritty sensations, excessive tearing, and blurred vision.
Two common conditions exacerbated by these conditions are Dry Eye disease, characterised by excessive tearing, blurry vision, and discomfort due to accelerated evaporation of the eye's natural moisture, and Pterygium (surfer's eye), a fleshy growth on the white part of the eye that becomes inflamed in dusty conditions, causing discomfort and vision problems.
"My father's impairment birthed the Initiative"
Idris Busari vividly remembers the distressing phone call he received in 2021. During a community meeting on a Sunday morning, his sibling's trembling voice delivered the news that his father had undergone eye surgery in Offa, Kwara State, after being diagnosed with glaucoma and cataracts. However, the procedure had left his father struggling to see clearly. Without hesitation, Busari rescheduled his engagements and rushed to his village to be with his father.
Determined to find a solution, he took his father to Ilorin, where he lived, and sought help from a friend who worked as an optician at the Kwara State Civil Service Clinic. The doctor examined his father's eye and noted that the initial surgery had been mishandled. Another procedure was scheduled and successfully performed, restoring his father's vision.
The remarkable recovery became the catalyst for a surgical outreach initiative that began in 2021. The initiative, founded by Idris Busari and supported by his cousin Abdulwasiu, is community-driven, personally funded eye surgery outreach that provides free treatment for people suffering from cataracts and glaucoma in Kwara and Lagos.
Sparked by Busari's father's eye condition, the project began in 2021 and has since expanded in collaboration with Opeyemi Mega Eye Clinic (OMEC), which offers surgeries at a discounted rate of ₦100,000 per patient for both eyes. While Abdulwasiu primarily finances the surgeries, logistics such as transporting patients from Lagos to Kwara and onward to Ilorin are coordinated by local contacts and fully covered by the initiative.
Not long after, the news spread to Ajase Ipo, where Busari's cousin, Abdulwasiu, learned about it. Abdulwasiu, who also had an uncle suffering from an eye defect, arranged for his treatment. By this time, the doctor who operated on Busari's father had been promoted to a Director in the Kwara State Ministry of Health. He referred them to Dr Taoheed Opeyemi, founder of OMEC in Ilorin, where the surgery successfully restored the uncle's vision.
Encouraged by the swift and affordable treatment, Wasiu and Busari expanded the outreach, mobilising more patients from Ajase Ipo and Lagos. The initiative gained momentum, initially treating two to three patients monthly.
They reached the first major milestone by May 2022, with 10 people undergoing eye surgery. According to OMEC's records, the programme treated 49 patients by the end of 2022, 78 in 2023, and at least 165 in 2024.
Dr. Opeyemi, the Chief Medical Director of OMEC, started offering a 22% discount when he learned about the initiative, reducing the surgery cost from ₦135,000 to ₦100,000 for both eyes. He described the initiative as "without challenges, except occasional delays in payments from sponsors."
From diagnosis to surgery
Busari, the initiative's founder, has leveraged his personal network to coordinate and mobilise efforts for eye surgeries for two years now. His cousin, Ibrahim, based in Ajase, plays a crucial role in arranging transportation for patients traveling from Lagos to Ilorin. In Lagos, Abdulwasiu referred those in need to the clinic. Once a surgery date was scheduled, patients would travel from Lagos to Ajase, where Ibrahim facilitated their onward journey to Ilorin, with the initiative covering travel expenses.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
However, this process has become increasingly challenging due to soaring fuel costs and the lack of a Lagos branch, making coordination and transportation more complicated and costly.
Some setbacks
Busari highlights funding as a significant challenge during the surgery process. Although Abdulwasiu finances most of the surgeries, the economic downturn has led to numerous delays. "You know it is a personal financing project. The outreach we had this year has expenses of over 13 million Naira and we have been able to raise only 7 million naira so far which delayed some people's surgery."
While the initiative pushes forward to restore sight through surgery, experts emphasize that prevention remains key especially for adults over 40 who are more vulnerable to eye conditions worsened by climate factors. Dr. Shefi'u advises that wearing sunglasses can offer vital protection against sunlight, dust, and wind. For those already experiencing eye discomfort, artificial tears can help retain moisture, while anti-inflammatory eye drops may relieve redness and irritation. "These simple preventive measures," he noted, "can go a long way in maintaining eye health during harsh weather conditions."
