RAWALPINDI: Al-Shifa Trust has identified refractive errors as the most frequently encountered eye problem among children in its school screening programme. The report underscores the significance of early detection of vision issues in children.

According to Al-Shifa Trust, the Al-Shifa Center for Community Ophthalmology (ACCO) compiled the report, which reveals that refractive error is the leading condition detected in these school screenings, followed by squint, conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and stye. The findings emphasize the critical role of school-based eye screenings in identifying children who may otherwise remain undiagnosed, potentially affecting their education and daily lives.

ACCO operates one of Pakistan's largest community eye-care outreach initiatives, conducting school and community screenings and surgical camps from Al-Shifa Trust hospitals in Rawalpindi, Sukkur, Kohat, Muzaffarabad, and Chakwal. Since its inception, the programme has conducted over 5,000 school screening camps, benefiting more than seven million people across more than 150 of Pakistan's 170 districts.

Additionally, the outreach programme has organized over 500 surgical eye camps, 5,000 community screening camps, and over 100,000 free cataract surgeries, providing essential eye care to underserved rural communities. The Trust has also introduced mobile operation theatres to perform vision-restoring surgeries in areas with limited healthcare access.

The Trust's activities have grown in response to rising patient demand, with outpatient visits increasing to 715,333 in 2025-26 from 665,608 in the previous year. "The school screening programme provides an important preventive component of Al-Shifa's eye-care work," said Dr. Hafiz Muhammad Najam ul Hasnat, GM ACCO. The Trust's mission is to make quality eye care accessible and affordable, contributing to the reduction of preventable blindness in Pakistan.