January 30, (THEWILL) – The Plateau State Government has said it will partner with Sightsavers, an international health provider organisation, to establish a comprehensive eye health programme throughout the state.
Governor Simon Lalong stated this while receiving the Country Director of Sightsavers Nigeria and Ghana, Dr Sunday Isiyaku, at Government House Jos.
He said the partnership is based on his earlier visit to the United Kingdom where he interacted with the global leaders of the organisation and requested a partnership with the organisation aimed at addressing the challenges of eye health in Plateau State.
Governor Lalong said one of his dreams is to see that people, who are living with disabilities in any form, get assistance and reprieve through steps, such as the one being undertaken in the partnership with Sightsavers.
He thanked the team for the visit and assured them that the Plateau State Government was ready to play its part in the partnership by paying its counterpart funding and also make facilities and personnel available for the training and actual operation.
Earlier, the Country Director, Sightsavers Nigeria and Ghana, Dr. Sunday Isiyaku said they were in Plateau on the directive of the global office which responded to the communication sent to it by the Governor for a partnership.
He said a three year partnership is being proposed and will support the establishment of a State-owned comprehensive eye health program that is well coordinated, accessible, affordable, and sustainable based on national policies and guidelines for the over 4 million people of Plateau State.
Dr Isiyaku said in 2021, a survey was carried out which showed that there is a significant gap in eye health in Plateau State which needs to be addressed immediately to save many citizens from going blind. This, he said, would involve manpower training, improvement of infrastructure and advocacy.
The Country Director requested the governor to approve health facilities in the Central and Southern zones of Plateau State, pay counterpart funds, fund budget lines for eye health and work towards improving the human resource in the eye health sector.
The Head of the Christoffel Blinden Mission (CBM) also assured Lalong that they will partner with Sightsavers to achieve the mission.
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