Ethiopia launches first paediatric eye unit with €1.1 million support from RTL/Lions Deutschland

Ethiopia has taken a major step toward eliminating childhood blindness with the opening of its first dedicated paediatric eye unit at ALERT Comprehensive Specialised Hospital in Addis Ababa.

The €1,149,318 project was made possible through funding from RTL/Lions Deutschland, in partnership with Christian Blind Mission (CBM), Ethiopia’s Ministry of Health, and ALERT Hospital, which contributed land, infrastructure, staffing, and operational support.

The paediatric eye unit was inaugurated by Dr. Mekdes Daba, Minister of Health, alongside Dr. Dereje Duguma, State Minister, Mr. Niang Mbacke, CBM Global Director for Programme Development and Implementation, and Mr. Ottmar Heinen, Council Chairman of Lions Deutschland Multi District 111. Health professionals and organisations of persons with disabilities also attended the event.

Meeting a pressing need

Childhood blindness is a critical public health issue in Ethiopia. With more than 120 million people and only nine paediatric ophthalmologists—just four of whom are active—thousands of children risk losing their sight to preventable conditions like cataracts and glaucoma. This highlights a critical shortage of paediatric ophthalmologists, resulting in insufficient ophthalmological services for children.
 

Visual impairment also affects learning, development, and a child’s future.

In Ethiopia, while there are eye clinics available, there are not enough trained staff to meet the demand for eye care services, nor are there sufficient examination rooms equipped with the necessary technology. As a result of these shortcomings, only a limited number of operations, such as cataract, glaucoma, and strabismus surgeries, can be performed.

Critical need for children

Compared to adult blindness, visual impairment in children poses a particular challenge. Children born with visual impairment urgently require ophthalmological care to ensure normal development. In this respect, rapid identification, referral and treatment of children is essential, as late intervention can lead to visual impairment that can no longer be corrected in adulthood.

In addition, the quality of care is impaired by the limited availability of technically outdated medical equipment and the acute shortage of qualified paediatric ophthalmology staff.

A facility designed for children

Until now, Ethiopia lacked a dedicated paediatric eye care facility, forcing children to rely on adult units which already had limited capacity.

The new paediatric eye care unit in Ethiopia sets a benchmark with its world-class surgical and diagnostic equipment, inclusive design for children with disabilities, and child-friendly interiors. It also provides training spaces for residents and fellows to help combat the acute shortage of specialists in the field.

The centre will treat thousands of children annually and serve as a national referral hub, while also promoting early detection and awareness of child eye health.

ALERT Hospital’s role

ALERT has increasingly evolved into a centre of excellence for inclusive eye health. As a longstanding partner of CBM, it plays a leading role in the fight against avoidable blindness in Ethiopia. Currently, comprehensive primary and secondary treatments, along with optometric services providing eyeglasses, are available within the ophthalmological unit.

Now it can also provide paediatric ophthalmological care in Addis Ababa and its surrounding areas.

The independent paediatric eye unit, which is operated in a separate building now separates paediatric and adult patients, a first of its kind in Ethiopia.

The unit aims to:

  • Deliver inclusive, high-quality paediatric eye health services across Ethiopia
  • Drive national advocacy and awareness on child eye health
  • Provide training opportunities for future specialists
  • Strengthen Ethiopia’s eye health system to a tertiary level of care

The integration of the paediatric unit with existing services—such as general ophthalmology, school eye screening, the optical workshop, and optometry services—eliminates the need for referrals to other hospitals. This change reduces the need for travel and patient transportation. Additionally, with the available specialised staff, the unit can begin operations immediately.

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