Optometry in the warm heart of Africa

Malawi, once the stomping ground of physician David Livingstone in Southern-Central Africa, is home to a very large lake, 19 million people and 77 optometrists.

Sadly, it has few other resources and invariably scores low on healthcare compared to other countries. Most of the population are rural, half are below the poverty line and almost everyone has limited access to the 77 graduate optometrists or 128 diploma technicians providing eye care services throughout the country. The World Health Organization estimates 90% of visually impaired people live in developing countries, suggesting a link between visual impairment and poverty.

There are several schemes seeking to rectify this in Malawi, including the Schools of Optometry Project and a German scheme (One Dollar Glasses) to provide cheap lenses. Larger government hospitals can provide optometry services but none provide spectacles and Malawians must go to private facilities or charities.