Improving access to eye care for older people: experiences in South Africa

Older people need greater access to good eye care: 82% of people living with blindness worldwide are over 50, even though they only represent 19% of the world’s population.1 In South Africa, the 80% of people who are unable to afford expensive private medical insurance are reliant on the state to provide affordable health care.2 Older people have access to primary health clinics in the community where many of their health needs are met, free of charge. However, eye care has mainly been provided by private optometrists (usually based in city centres) and at district and university teaching hospitals, which have been struggling to cope with the demand. Concerned about the lack of eye care provision for older people, the Brien Holden Vision Institute has been working with the provincial departments of health in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng to improve and expand eye care in primary health clinics; this was first achieved in KwaZulu-Natal through the Giving Sight in KZN Project. Sally Crook of Seeing is Believing (which has been involved in supporting this work), spoke with France Nxumalo about the challenges of replicating the project in Gauteng. France led on the Gauteng project for the institute and has since moved on to a position within the Department of Health in South Africa.