(Monrovia, Liberia, October 17, 2026) — The Ministry of Health, through the National Eye Health Unit, has extended its World Sight Day eye screening activities beyond the initially planned five days following increased requests from schools seeking vision screening services for their students.

The ongoing exercise aims to identify students with refractive errors and other eye conditions that could affect their learning, daily activities, and overall well-being. Refractive errors can make it difficult to see objects clearly, particularly at a distance, and may require corrective eyeglasses.

Undiagnosed and uncorrected vision problems can affect students’ classroom participation, reading ability, and academic performance. Early detection and access to corrective glasses are therefore essential to helping students improve their learning experiences and educational outcomes.

To date, the screening exercise has reached more than 1,500 individuals, the majority of whom are students.

Four schools were screened during the previous week, while the team continued the exercise at JJ Ross High School on Wednesday, October 14, following a request from the school’s principal, who attended Liberia’s World Sight Day celebration.

The National Eye Health Unit is scheduled to screen another public school on Friday, October 16, with three additional schools expected to benefit from the exercise next week.

In response to the growing demand, the Ministry of Health is encouraging continued support for the initiative to enable the expansion of eye screening services to additional public schools across the country.

Such support would help health workers identify more students with uncorrected refractive errors, facilitate appropriate referrals, and improve access to essential eye care services.

In addition to schoolchildren, the screening teams are examining other community members who visit the screening sites. The exercise also identifies other eye conditions, including cataracts and retinopathy, with affected individuals referred to hospitals for further evaluation and appropriate treatment.

The approach seeks to ensure that the World Sight Day activities benefit both students and other community members who may be living with undiagnosed eye conditions.

Through the ongoing initiative, the Ministry of Health and its partners aim to strengthen early detection, improve referrals, and expand access to eye care, particularly for students and families who face financial barriers to obtaining corrective eyeglasses.