The momentum continues in Côte d’Ivoire as community health workers begin conducting basic vision screenings and dispensing reading glasses through EYElliance’s Frontline Vision pilot, implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health’s National Eye Health Program and the Directorate of Community Health and Health Promotion.
After completing their training in Korhogo district, community health workers have now taken to the field, reaching communities across the Poro region. Their mission: to bring reading glasses directly to older adults (40 years and above) where they live and work.
Read more about the training and pilot at EYElliance’s Frontline Vision Pilot with the Ministry of Health in Côte d’Ivoire
Restoring Sight and Independence
For many older adults, this initiative marks the first time they’ve had access to something as simple, and life-changing, as reading glasses. In communities like Karakoro, the impact has been immediate and deeply personal.
One woman, after receiving her first pair of reading glasses, smiled and said:
“All I needed was a pair of glasses. Now I can thread a needle again.”
Another added joyfully:
“I can finally sort grain again, all by myself.”
These moments reflect represent restored independence, confidence, and productivity.
Frontline Vision in Action
Community health workers, trusted members of their communities, can play a pivotal role in delivering basic vision screening and reading glasses. As part of EYElliance's Frontline Vision pilot, after being trained, community health workers are equipped to conduct this primary health care intervention as part of their minimum package of services.
A community health worker participating in the pilot shared how people are reacting:
“People are so surprised that something so simple can change their lives instantly. We see their faces light up when they realize they can see again.”
Integrating vision screening and reading glasses provisioning into community health systems can close access gaps and advance universal health coverage. By embedding this service within existing government structures, Côte d’Ivoire is building a sustainable model that can be scaled nationally, and replicated across other countries.
Frontline Vision is one of the cornerstones of EYElliance’s mission to make eyeglasses routinely and reliably accessible. By equipping health workers at the community level, we’re ensuring that clear vision isn’t a privilege, it’s a public health service that should be available to all.
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