Commonwealth Alumni Dr Cynthia Ogundo and Dr Rebecca Oenga, both ophthalmologists working in public hospitals in Kenya, teamed up with Dr Nyawira Mwangi, Senior Lecturer at the Kenya Medical Training College, Nairobi, to create a video information session to spread awareness about eye healthcare.
Dr Cynthia Ogundo
According to the WHO, at least 2.2 billion people have vision impairment or blindness, of which over 1 billion cases could have been prevented or are yet to be addressed. The WHO reports that eye care is a critical component of universal health coverage and should be integrated into wider health systems. Unfortunately, eye care workers feel that it still does not receive adequate attention at the policy or facility level, which impacts access to quality eye care.
The video focuses on refractive error and ocular allergy, two of the most common eye conditions in Kenya. Targeted towards children and youth, the goal of the video was to provide information on these two eye conditions, how they can be managed, and the need to access affordable eye care as an integral part of quality health care.
The video included a short animation created by Victor Isika, a local student. The narration was provided by Shanice Ogundo.
Since the publication of the video on Dr Ogundo’s personal social media, she has experienced an increase in visits to the eye clinic for check-ups.
Dr Cynthia Ogundo is a 2019 Commonwealth Shared Scholar. Co-organiser, Dr Rebecca Oenga, is a 2017 Commonwealth Shared Scholar. They both completed an MSc in Public Health for Eye Care from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
All Alumni Community Engagement Fund 2020-21 videos are available to watch on the CSC’s YouTube channel.
