Improving primary school teachers' ability to promote visual health in ibadan, Nigeria

Primary schools in developing countries, even in urban centers, lack general school health personnel as well as eye-care professionals. In this situation pupils' visual acuity problems may often go undetected, setting the stage for poor performance in school and later in life. Students and staff of the African Regional Health Education Centre in Ibadan, Nigeria worked with primary school teachers in one traditional poor inner-core community of Ibadan to identify their willingness to undertake visual acuity (VA) screening training and their knowledge about eye care and VA. Nineteen teachers participated in a fifteen-hour in-service training course based on their stated needs. After training they were able to preform VA screening and also showed significant knowledge gains about eye care. A six-month follow-up visit found that 322 pupils had been screened, of whom forty-two had visual acuity problems. Parents of half of these pupils followed through with recommended referrals, and teachers assisted all with problems to find more appropriate classroom seating arrangements. This pilot project shows that teachers can become effective primary care workers, but that continuing education programs must be organized by school authorities to prevent deterioration in knowledge and interest in school health.