Clear Vision, Bright Futures

Clear Vision, Bright Futures tells the story of the Nahuleswary Vasudevan Free Eye Screening and Spectacles Distribution Program, an initiative that delivered essential eye care to thousands of schoolchildren in Northern Sri Lanka. Set in a post-conflict, predominantly rural region, the program addressed long-standing gaps in school eye health caused by limited resources, logistical barriers, and limited access to specialist care. The book shows how something as simple as timely eye screening and a pair of spectacles can transform a child’s ability to learn, participate, and thrive, offering valuable insights for policymakers, educators, and eye health professionals.

Clear vision is fundamental to education and healthy development. Children with uncorrected vision struggle to read the blackboard, follow lessons, and engage in classroom activities, often leading to poor academic performance, low self-esteem, absenteeism, and increased risk of school dropout. In Northern Sri Lanka, uncorrected refractive errors remain a significant yet preventable cause of visual impairment.

To bridge these gaps, the Eye Unit of Teaching Hospital Jaffna, led by Dr. M. Malaravan, launched the program with support from the Alaka Foundation (Malaysia) through Assist RR (UK & Sri Lanka), in collaboration with the Ministries of Health and Education of the Northern Province. A cluster-based comprehensive school screening model was introduced, grouping nearby schools to use resources efficiently and expand coverage.

A core innovation was training teachers to conduct preliminary vision screening during regular school hours, creating a sustainable and trusted first line of detection. Specialist teams then provided comprehensive on-site eye examinations, and children diagnosed with refractive errors received free spectacles through their schools, removing financial and travel barriers for families.

The program trained 1,150 teachers and identified around 9,300 children with refractive errors, highlighting the urgent need for early and systematic screening. By bringing care directly to schools, the initiative ensured no child was left behind and demonstrated how coordinated, school-based eye health programs can deliver equitable, scalable, and lasting impact, fully aligned with IAPB’s vision of universal eye health.