Presbyopia Screening and Distribution of Reading Glasses at Primary Health Care Facilities Commences October 1st

The Government of Saint Lucia, through the Office of the Prime Minister, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Restoring Vision, a non-profit organization of San Francisco, USA.

The MoU establishes a framework for collaboration to support the Prime Ministerial Vision Initiative through the integration of presbyopia screening and near vision eyeglasses distribution into Saint Lucia’s public health system.

Presbyopia is an age-related decline in near vision that affects adults, usually beginning after 40 years of age. Uncorrected presbyopia reduces productivity, independence, and quality of life but can be effectively corrected with affordable reading glasses.

The Ministry of Health, Wellness and Nutrition has integrated presbyopia screening and the distribution of reading glasses into routine Primary Health Care services, which is expected to improve access to affordable vision care and strengthen the eye health of the population. This service becomes available from October 1, 2026 and will be offered at NO COST to the public.

This project is expected to increase the early identification of adults with near vision impairment and provide immediate access to appropriate reading glasses. This health initiative targets adults aged 40 years and older experiencing difficulty with near vision. Also, people attending chronic disease clinics, older adults attending health clinics and community members referred by health providers can benefit from this initiative.

The Ministry of Health is hopeful that this project will strengthen the community awareness of eye health and healthy ageing and also support the referral pathway for patients requiring comprehensive eye care.

St. Lucians are expected to now have improved quality of life and functional vision among adults aged 40 years and older, reduced burden on secondary eye care services through appropriate referral and the strengthened integration of eye health into primary health care.

Presbyopia screening will be available within all health regions through select Primary Health Care facilities. Each health facility will designate a clinic day each week for eye screening and issuing of reading glasses services, in addition to routine community eye clinics. Services may also be delivered through appointments, walk-ins and outreach screening (community groups, workplaces, elderly homes, Bordelais Correctional Facility, etc). The clinic days’ schedule for eye screening and reading glasses services at primary health care facilities will be shared at a later date. Persons are encouraged to be on the lookout for this information on the Ministry of Health’s social media platforms and via the media.

The services provided under this new project serve to compliment private sector ophthalmology services.

The official launch of the Restoring Vision Project will be scheduled later in October 2026.