Free Vision Screening to Be Provided for 7 Million Primary School Kids
The nationwide initiative will help detect visual impairments in six to 13 year-olds, offering exams, glasses and surgeries.
The Ministries of Health, Education, Local Development, and Social Solidarity signed a protocol to provide free vision screenings for 7 million primary school pupils across 9,400 institutions.
The scheme, part of the presidential ‘A New Beginning for Human Development’ initiative, aims to identify an estimated 325,000 children at risk of visual disabilities and deliver treatment, corrective glasses or surgeries.
The programme expands on existing presidential health campaigns, including ‘100 Million Health’ and ‘Our Children’s Eyes, Our Future’ (‘Kids for Sight’). The latter has already screened pupils in Monufia and Gharbia governorates, with plans to extend coverage nationally.
Authorities emphasised collaboration between sectors to ensure accessible services, citing early detection as critical to children’s academic performance and long-term development.
