MONROVIA, Liberia, October 7, 2026 — The Ministry of Health, through the National Eye Health Program, in collaboration with partners, has launched a free eye-screening campaign targeting schools in Monrovia and surrounding communities as part of activities leading up to the observance of World Sight Day.

The initiative is aimed at promoting early detection of vision problems, providing basic eye-care services, facilitating referrals for further treatment, and raising public awareness about the importance of regular eye examinations and preventive eye care.

Among the schools benefiting from the ongoing screening exercise are Lombardia International School System and William Gabriel Kpoleh High School, with additional schools expected to participate as the campaign expands.

World Sight Day will be observed globally on Thursday, October 8, 2026, under the theme “Love Your Eyes.”

According to Dr. Molley R. Goe Jr., Director of the National Eye Health Program, the observance provides an important opportunity to draw national attention to eye health and the impact of blindness and vision impairment on individuals, families and communities.

“Vision is precious, and caring for our eyes is one of the simplest, most powerful acts we can take for our health and future,” Dr. Goe said.

He noted that Liberia continues to face a significant burden of blindness and vision impairment, with cataracts and uncorrected refractive errors among the leading causes of vision problems.

Dr. Goe said the situation is particularly concerning in rural and underserved communities, where access to basic eye-care services remains limited.

He said the National Eye Health Program is therefore using the World Sight Day observance to encourage Liberians to make eye health a priority by seeking timely screening, diagnosis and treatment.

The school-based screening campaign is considered particularly important because early identification of vision problems among children can help prevent learning difficulties and improve educational outcomes.

Dr. Goe said the Ministry of Health has made progress in recent months toward expanding access to eye-care services across Liberia.

He highlighted the second phase of the Ministry’s reading-glasses distribution initiative, which is targeting five southeastern counties, Grand Gedeh, Sinoe, Grand Kru, River Gee and Maryland, where access to eye-care services remains challenging.

The initiative is intended to help address uncorrected refractive errors and improve access to corrective eye-care services in communities where specialized services are less readily available.

The Ministry has also introduced an inter-ministerial eye-screening initiative designed to bring eye examinations directly to government workplaces.

According to Dr. Goe, the workplace initiative recognizes that demanding work schedules and other barriers can prevent employees from seeking routine health services, including regular eye examinations.

Dr. Goe urged parents, teachers, workers and community leaders to take eye health seriously by ensuring that both children and adults receive regular eye examinations.

He stressed that many forms of blindness and vision impairment can be prevented or treated when detected early.

“Get your eyes checked. Take your children for screening,” Dr. Goe urged.

The National Eye Health Program is implementing the campaign with support from several local and international partners, including OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, LV Prasad Eye Institute, Eyeillance, Sightsavers, Samaritan’s Purse and other organizations.

Dr. Goe expressed appreciation to the partners for their continued support toward strengthening Liberia’s eye-health system and expanding access to screening, corrective services and other eye-care interventions.

He said the collective efforts of government, development partners, schools, health workers and communities are essential to building a health system in which quality eye care is accessible to all Liberians, regardless of geographic location or economic status.

The Ministry of Health reaffirmed its commitment to strengthening eye-health services, expanding preventive and screening programs, and promoting early detection and treatment of vision problems as part of Liberia’s broader efforts to improve health outcomes and quality of life.