Ministry of Health unveils mobile application to screen eye diseases

The Ministry of Health has Thursday unveiled a vision impact project dubbed PEEK TECHNOLOGY which feeds into the National Eye Health Strategic Plan 2020-2025.

According to the Ministry, PEEK TECHNOLOGY is a smartphone mobile application, easy to use by non-medical workers to screen school children, and community members for eye diseases, and even link them to the very scarce eye specialists.

During the unveiling of the technology, Chief Administrative Secretary, Dr Rashid Aman (delivering a speech on behalf of CS Mutahi Kagwe) pledged that the Ministry will provide a conducive environment for the use of PEEK technology, and for further research for continuous improvement of health services, using such initiatives and innovations.

“This Vision Impact project, which feeds into the National eye health strategy contributes further to our wider National Health Sector Plan, focusing on Health Systems Strengthening National vision 2030 economic strategy, and ultimately to the UN Sustainable Development Goals,” he said.

In Kenya out of the 7.5 million persons who are in need of eye care services, 250,000 are blind, and another 750,000, with difficulties in seeing clearly.

According to a report, the main causes of vision impairment include age-related cataracts and refractive errors (which include short-sightedness, and long-sightedness, common among school-going children).

Another common problem is difficulties in reading, associated also with ageing.

Out of the 10.4 million children enrolled in Primary schools in Kenya, about 100,000 of them have significant refractive errors (short-sighted or long-sighted) requiring spectacles.

It is only about 37,000, who are able to access spectacles, to enable them to engage meaningfully in schooling.

The report further says that cataract surgery is one of the most cost-effective health interventions which transform lives.

“It is a simple surgical procedure frequently done under local anaesthesia, and over 80% of the times the outcome is good sight restoration. This transforms a blind person from dependence to economic productivity.”

Meanwhile, the CAS during the event also noted that the Ministry is mobilizing financial resources up to about Ksh 3 billion to develop and equip Centres of Excellence for Eye, Hearing and Dental Care at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital, Mombasa County Referral Hospital, Nyeri County Referral Hospital, Meru County Referral Hospital and Kisii County Referral Hospital.

“These centres would be part of regional training and research centres for these specialized fields.”

In conclusion, CAS Aman thanked the team of local experts, the German Government through Ambassador Annett Gunther and the Christofel blinded Mission who have worked on this technology for over 10 years and also for supporting Kenya’s National Eye Health Strategic Plan which contributes toward Universal Health Coverage and ultimately to Vision 2030.