Barriers to pediatric eye health: Insights from key stakeholders

Objectives Visual impairment affects millions of children globally and can have a lasting impact on academic learning and quality of life. The most common cause of visual impairment in children is refractive error, which can be treated with cost-effective interventions such as school-based eye screening programs and spectacle use. This study aimed to understand barriers to school-based eye care programs in Pwani, Tanzania. Materials and Methods Data were collected throughout July 2024 through purposeful sampling and in-depth interviews with diverse paediatric eye care stakeholders in Pwani, including teachers, parents and medical professionals. Semi-structured interviews, conducted in English or Swahili, utilised the availability, accessibility, affordability, acceptability and quality framework to explore participant perceptions. Recordings were transcribed and analysed using thematic content analysis to identify dominant themes. Results The perspectives of 12 stakeholders involved in paediatric eye care were included: four primary school teachers, three primary school parents, two ophthalmic nurses, two ophthalmologists from local hospitals and one respondent from the blindness relief non-governmental organisation (NGO), Vision care. The five dominant barriers to eye care were parental awareness and understanding (parents unaware children need eye examinations), affordability (cost of examinations and spectacles), cultural beliefs (reliance on traditional medicine, stigma of spectacles), limited access (scarcity of specialists and clinics) and lack of governmental support (lack of policy and funding). Conclusion Addressing barriers to paediatric eye care in Pwani requires collaborative efforts between NGOs, eye care providers, schools, parents and governmental entities. A combination of educational initiatives, financial support mechanisms and improved service delivery models are needed.