Impact Analysis: Access to vision services and eyeglasses for remote Ugandan communities
We supported Healthy Entrepreneurs and RestoringVision to collaborate on the Reading Glasses Initiative (RGI) in Uganda. The partnership is made possible through the Million Lives Collective collaboration grant funded by Bayer Foundation. With equitable access to eye screenings and low-cost near vision glasses, 94% of our beneficiaries have reported a significant improvement in their quality of life, resulting in increased confidence, greater independence and better productivity at work.
The Issue: Inequal access to vision glasses and services
Studies have shown that 90% of people with vision impairments reside in low and middle-income countries (LMICs). While eyeglasses can effectively address these vision impairments, the lack of access to vision services, non-existent eyeglasses distribution channels, and the inability to afford glasses have hindered these communities from getting clear vision and healthy eyesight.
Uncorrected refractive errors can lead to decreased productivity, inability to sustain livelihoods, poor educational outcomes, loss of independence, and more. The 2021 Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health report estimates the current productivity loss attributed to poor vision to be $411 billion annually.
As such, Healthy Entrepreneurs and RestoringVision have decided to partner for the first time to develop and pilot a program to solve presbyopia for impoverished communities in Uganda.
A New Collaboration: Healthy Entrepreneurs x RestoringVision
Healthy Entrepreneurs is a social enterprise that provides access to basic healthcare in remote areas of Sub-Sahara Africa through Community Health Entrepreneurs (CHEs). RestoringVision is dedicated to bringing clear vision to the most impoverished populations globally.
The sustainable program funded by our Social Innovation Ecosystem Fund (SIEF) offers 63% of impoverished communities in Uganda first-time access to glasses costing an average of UGX 10,000 or $2.70. In fact, the impact assessment report by 60 decibels has shown that the main drivers of consumer satisfaction are affordable prices of the glasses and good quality of the lenses.
“The glasses have made it easier for me to read and write. I also use them while weaving, which allows me to increase my speed. Due to this I have been able to increase the money I get from it,” one of the beneficiaries said.
Key Insights
Greater Awareness and Access
The majority of the beneficiaries say they first heard about the glasses through CHEs. Overall, 63% of the beneficiaries are accessing glasses like this for the first time, and 74% also report not having access to alternative services. This suggests that CHEs are reaching a relatively underserved beneficiary base with a unique product.
Enhanced Quality of Life
In particular, 96% of the beneficiaries share that their confidence has increased after using the glasses. Furthermore, 80% say that their dependence on others has reduced, and 87% report that their ability to work has improved.
Opportunities for Improvement
While beneficiaries are satisfied with the Reading Glasses Initiative, there is room to improve challenge resolution. For instance, 29% of the beneficiaries have requested to be provided with storage cases. Some of the top issues reported are discomfort after long use and inability to see far away objects. Addressing these challenges may help improve overall satisfaction among beneficiaries.
What is the Million Lives Collective?
The Million Lives Collective (MLC) is an initiative that recognizes and raises awareness of innovations that are making significant impacts in addressing global development challenges. The Collective’s members are encouraged to team up with other members or external partners to establish a collaborative model through tangible in-field testing. By establishing this connection, social innovators are able to combine their unique resources and skills across sectors to address complex, dynamic and unpredictable development challenges.
