Assessment of Low Vision Rehabilitation Service Delivery in Government Eye Centres in Kaduna State

Low vision rehabilitation services remain a neglected component of the ophthalmic care continuum in most Nigerian states, leaving a significant population of partially sighted individuals without functional support. This study assesses the structure and delivery of low vision rehabilitation services in government eye centres in Kaduna State, North West Nigeria. A facility-based mixed-methods study will be conducted at the National Eye Centre Kaduna and three secondary-level eye centres in the state. Structured facility assessment tools will evaluate the availability of low vision aids including magnifiers, telescopes, and electronic aids, the presence of trained low vision therapists, the existence of formal low vision assessment protocols, and patient volumes for low vision services. In-depth interviews with ophthalmologists, optometrists, and low vision therapists will explore service delivery experiences, barriers, and improvement priorities. Low vision services are formally documented in Nigeria's National Eye Health Policy but are largely absent from routine practice at most state eye centres, including those in Kaduna. This study generates the first structured service delivery assessment for Kaduna State, providing actionable evidence for the Ministry of Health and National Eye Centre management. Recommendations will include procurement of a minimum set of low vision aids for each government eye centre, training of optometrists in low vision assessment, and development of patient communication tools in Hausa language to improve service uptake. Keywords: low vision rehabilitation, government eye centres, Kaduna State, low vision aids, ophthalmic services