The past, the present, and the future Kenya eye care programs, “Lest we forget"

Abstract

This article is intended to remind future generations to never forget and to sustain the great efforts made by pioneers of eye care services in Kenya. The information was collated through review of document and phone interviews.

Kenya was a British colony from 1920 to 1963. The British Empire Society for the Blind (BESB) was founded in 1950, renamed Royal Commonwealth Society for the Blind in 1957 and Sightsavers in 1987. In 1956, BESB established the Kenya Society for the Blind and the Kenya Ophthalmic programme (KOP). Sightsavers has been supporting Kenya since then. During the launch of VISION 2020 in 2001, KOP was upgraded to a Division of Ophthalmic Services (DOS) of the Ministry of Health. In 2010, health services were devolved to Counties. In 2013, DOS was renamed Ophthalmic Services Unit and Eye Health Section in 2023.  

Training of Ophthalmic clinical officers, ophthalmologists, community eye health workers, ophthalmic nurses, optometry technologists, BSc optometrists, BSc Comprehensive Ophthalmology and Cataract Surgery, and ophthalmology fellows started in 1959, 1978, 1996, 2003, 2006 and 2009, 2015, 2024 respectively.