As Uganda struggles with a critical shortage of eye health professionals fewer than 500 specialists for a population nearing 46 million Lapaire Uganda has taken an unusual step: turning to teenagers for solutions.
Last Saturday, the optical firm opened its doors to a crowd not often seen in the clinical corridors of optometry students in school uniforms, some accompanied by curious teachers and proud parents. The goal? To plant a seed of interest in an industry most young Ugandans have likely never considered.
“This Open Day is about long-term thinking,” said John Hilary Balyejusa, the company’s Public Relations and Communications Executive. “If we don’t start now, this workforce gap will only widen. We’re hoping that some of these students walk away with more than just curiosity they walk away with a calling.”
The shortage of optometrists and ophthalmologists in Uganda is more than a statistical issue it’s a public health crisis. Thousands of people, particularly in rural areas, live with untreated vision problems due to the lack of accessible care. Lapaire’s effort, while small in scale, seeks to challenge the trend by influencing career choices early.
Inside the clinic, students explored eye-testing tools, learned how prescription lenses are made, and chatted with specialists who demystified what had once seemed like a distant profession.
“Before today, I thought glasses were just bought and worn,” said Tennisha Birungi, a student from Rise and Shine High School. “Now I know there’s science behind every frame and lens. I’m actually thinking about becoming an eye specialist.”
Beyond the clinic walls, the numbers paint a sobering picture. Currently, Makerere University is the only institution training optometrists, and Uganda has just one ophthalmology school, located in Jinja. For a country where vision issues affect millions, that’s hardly a pipeline.
“We simply don’t have enough professionals, and we don’t have enough training institutions,” said Jackline Baboneraawo, one of Lapaire’s specialists. “This is why public awareness and education are just as important as clinical work.”
She also gave practical advice to the general public: have your eyes checked annually, and follow the 20-20-20 rule every 20 minutes, look at something 20 feet away for 20 seconds to reduce screen-induced eye strain.
Lapaire’s effort isn’t limited to school visits. Through community outreach programs for teenage mothers, the elderly, and its ‘Eye Care at Work’ campaign for corporates, the company is building what it hopes will become a culture of proactive eye care.
And there’s more at stake. Poor vision has been identified as a hidden contributor to road accidents, yet rarely appears in policy-level conversations about transport safety. Lapaire has pledged support for an upcoming national road safety initiative, emphasizing the role of vision screening in reducing accidents.
“People think ‘rubbish in the eye’ is just a saying,” one staff member joked. “But really, poor vision on the road can be deadly.”
Mark Muoki, the company’s HR Manager, was quick to remind the students that the eye care industry isn’t limited to white coats and dark rooms.
“There are opportunities in sales, management, supply chain, and customer care. Healthcare is a team effort,” he said. “We’re not just building specialists; we’re building a sustainable industry.”
Still, the core challenge remains: transforming teenage fascination into long-term professional commitment. Whether Saturday’s tour will result in a future filled with Ugandan-trained optometrists remains to be seen. But as students filtered out with wide eyes and new ideas, the message was clear: the future of eye care may very well start in a school uniform.
