Staff Correspondent
State Minister for Health and Family Welfare Dr M A Muhit has called for stronger collaboration among the government, NGOs, private healthcare providers and development partners to expand affordable and accessible eye care services across Bangladesh.
He made the remarks while addressing a World Sight Day 2026 programme jointly organised by the INGO Forum on Eye Health in Bangladesh and the National Institute of Ophthalmology & Hospital (NIOH) in Dhaka on Thursday.
The event, held at the Dr Durga P Paudyal Conference Hall at CIRDAP, was organised under the global theme “Love Your Eyes”. It brought together government officials, eye health professionals, development partners and civil society representatives.
The programme began with a rally inaugurated by Dr Muhit, followed by a discussion on eye health, accessibility and the social and economic importance of quality eye care.
“Vision is fundamental to learning, work, safe mobility and active participation in society,” the state minister said, stressing that many forms of visual impairment and blindness can be prevented or effectively addressed through timely eye care.
Amrita Rejina Rozario, Chair of the INGO Forum on Eye Health in Bangladesh and Country Director of Sightsavers Bangladesh, said 19 percent of people aged 30 and above experience some form of visual impairment, according to the Nationwide Blindness Survey 2020.
She called for greater public investment and stronger government-NGO collaboration, particularly to reach underserved and hard-to-reach communities.
Misha Mahjabeen, Managing Director of VisionSpring Bangladesh, highlighted the transformative impact of access to eyeglasses and vision services, saying clear vision improves learning, livelihoods, safety and independence.
Md Mohsin, Joint Secretary of the Health Services Division, attended as special guest.
Dr Syeed Mehbub Ul Kadir, Director of NIOH, chaired the session, while other speakers included Dr Munir Ahmed, Prof Md Zinnu Rain and Dr Md Tauhidur Rahman.
World Sight Day is observed annually on the second Thursday of October. This year, it falls on October 8.
