Kehinde Victor | Sept. 6, 2026
Key Points
- Nigerian ophthalmologists have called for solar-powered digital tools at primary healthcare centres to expand access to eye care.
- They said telehealth, artificial intelligence and simple screening tools could help specialists detect and manage eye conditions in underserved communities.
- The society identified high data costs, unreliable electricity, workforce shortages and rural-urban disparities as major barriers to digital eye care.
Main Story
Nigerian ophthalmologists have called for the deployment of solar-powered digital tools at primary healthcare centres to expand access to specialist eye care in underserved communities.
The call was made on Saturday at a media briefing during the 51st Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference of the Ophthalmological Society of Nigeria (OSN) in Abuja.
President of the society, Dr Gloria Patrick-Ferife, said telehealth, artificial intelligence (AI) and simple screening tools could enable specialists in major centres to support health workers and patients remotely.
She said the approach was necessary because neither government nor healthcare professionals could be physically present in every community.
“We will need to leverage skills available in major centres, telehealth, AI and other digital technologies,” Patrick-Ferife said.
She said simple screening tools could facilitate early identification of eye conditions and allow patients requiring specialist attention to be referred promptly.
Patrick-Ferife also called for eye health data to be integrated into the national District Health Information System (DHIS) to improve planning and decision-making.
She raised concern over the cost of internet data needed for digital healthcare and urged telecommunications and technology companies to provide incentives for health-related digital services.
Vice President of the OSN, Prof Abdulkadir Rafinda, said reliable electricity was essential to sustaining digital eye-care services and urged greater use of solar power at primary healthcare centres.
He said satellite-linked services could connect densely populated communities and rural areas to major medical centres, allowing ophthalmologists to review patient information and screening results without being physically present.
The conference was held under the theme, “Reimagining Eye Care in the Digital Era”.
What’s Being Said
“Reliable electricity is essential for the effective deployment of digital tools and other technologies needed for modern eye care,” Rafinda said.
Prof Regina Morgan, Chairman of the Conference Planning Committee, urged the media to increase reporting on eye health challenges and solutions to attract greater government and development support.
What’s Next
- OSN will advocate wider deployment of tele-ophthalmology and digital diagnostic tools.
- The society will push for stronger integration of eye health data into national health information systems.
- Ophthalmologists will continue to call for recruitment, retention and training of eye health workers, particularly in underserved communities.
The Bottom Line: Ophthalmologists want Nigeria to use telehealth, AI and solar-powered technology to take specialist eye care beyond major cities, while addressing electricity, data costs and workforce shortages that could limit digital healthcare delivery.
