Since January 2025, more than 600 people have benefited from free eye consultations and screenings in three major cities in Cameroon: Yaoundé, Douala, and Bamenda. The initiative is part of United Bank for Africa (UBA) Cameroon’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, carried out in collaboration with Acha Eye Hospital. For the current year, the pan-African bank has announced plans to conduct over 1,500 free eye consultations. “If this momentum continues, we will exceed the targets set at the beginning of the year,” stated the financial institution.
UBA’s involvement in addressing eye health issues is grounded in the importance of early detection of eye diseases. Many eye conditions, such as glaucoma and cataracts, develop silently and only present symptoms at advanced stages. Early diagnosis through regular consultations can help prevent irreversible vision loss, the bank explains.
Another crucial component is improving access to eye care. In many underserved communities, eye care services are expensive or simply unavailable. By offering free consultations, UBA helps remove financial and logistical barriers, making it possible for more people to access essential eye screenings.
The initiative also emphasises public awareness and education. These campaigns inform the public about the importance of regular eye exams and overall visual health, while also promoting preventative care. Another key goal is to address common vision issues. Many people suffer from undiagnosed refractive errors such as myopia or hyperopia. These consultations allow for the identification of such issues and offer simple solutions like prescription glasses—ultimately improving quality of life.
Empowering communities is another driving force behind the program. According to UBA, good vision is essential for learning, working, and carrying out everyday tasks. By promoting eye health, the campaign supports productivity, education, and overall community well-being.
Preventive care also helps ease the burden on the healthcare system. Early intervention reduces the number of advanced cases that would require complex and costly treatments. In summary, these campaigns not only directly improve individuals’ lives but also contribute to broader public health goals.
The initiative is particularly valuable as it aims to detect eye conditions at an early stage and provide timely intervention. “Most of our patients don’t suffer from serious conditions, but rather from refractive errors, which can often be corrected with a simple pair of glasses. That’s why we include refraction tests during awareness campaigns to identify people who need glasses,” explains Aweh Tchounda Fandio, Outreach Coordinator at Acha Eye Hospital in Yaoundé. “At the end of each campaign day, we ensure no case of glaucoma or any suspicious signs go undetected, because blindness caused by glaucoma is irreversible. However, early detection can prevent it,” he adds.
UBA’s support in this partnership is not limited to funding. The bank provides logistical support to the medical teams of Acha Eye Hospital during consultation campaigns. UBA offers reception spaces for the public in its branches and assists with outreach efforts led by Acha Eye Hospital’s field teams, who visit targeted neighbourhoods to inform residents about the opportunity for free consultations.
As for who can benefit from these screenings, UBA makes it clear: everyone is welcome. “So far, things are progressing well. Together with the Acha Eye Hospital teams, we aim to step up awareness efforts before each campaign to ensure more people are informed and can take advantage of this free service,” the bank’s management affirms.
The examinations include both anterior and posterior segment assessments of the eye, aiming to detect diseases that could lead to blindness or impair patients’ ability to carry out daily tasks.
