More than 83,000 Meru residents aged 40 and above will receive free reading glasses by January 2027, in a countywide drive targeting age-related vision problems that affect daily activities and productivity.
The programme will extend screening and distribution services to communities across all sub-counties, while patients with hearing impairments will also benefit from specialised care and free hearing aids following professional assessment.
The initiative was launched during the 2026 World Sight Day celebrations at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital (MeTRH), where audiology equipment valued at approximately Sh30 million was unveiled to strengthen hearing diagnosis and treatment.
Governor Mutuma M’Ethingia said the county was working with partners to make essential eye and hearing services accessible to residents who might otherwise be unable to afford corrective devices.
MeTRH chief executive Dr Bernard Murithi said the hospital would work with community health promoters to identify patients with hearing and vision difficulties and link them to appropriate services.
He noted that the high cost of hearing aids had left some patients without the devices they needed.
AIC Aid Ministries representative Alfred Njeru said the organisation, working with Christian Blind Mission (CBM), had delivered equipment worth Sh22 million to support hearing screening and diagnosis.
The services will also benefit patients from neighbouring counties seeking specialised hearing care, he said.
The reading glasses programme targets presbyopia, an age-related condition that makes it difficult to focus on nearby objects, particularly among people aged 40 and above.
LWALA director Kenneth Ogendo said the initiative was taking screening and glasses distribution closer to rural communities to improve access for people who might not visit health facilities.
The pilot programme is being implemented in Meru and Homa Bay counties in partnership with the Council of Governors, the Ministry of Health, GLADIF and Livelihood Impact Fund.
Livelihood Impact Fund representative Ann Njoroge said the initiative planned to distribute 85,000 reading glasses across the two counties, targeting a condition estimated to affect about 7.5 million Kenyans.
GLADIF chief executive Gladys Miriti said more than 57 senior county trainers and approximately 500 health workers from Level Two and Level Three facilities in Meru had been trained to support screening and the distribution of glasses.
The pilot, which began in August 2026 and runs until January 2027, could be expanded nationally if the approach proves successful.
Meru County Chief Officer for Health Services Dr Koome Muthuri urged residents to take advantage of the programme, saying early eye examinations could help identify problems and connect patients with appropriate care.
The initiative was launched under the 2026 World Sight Day theme, “Love Your Eyes”.
