Authors : Christopher Belford; Momodou Mustapha Fanneh; Lang Sanyang; Bumi Camara; Yusupha Dibba
Volume/Issue : Volume 5 - 2020, Issue 6 - June
Google Scholar : http://bitly.ws/9nMw
Scribd : https://bit.ly/3eOYyvx
DOI : 10.38124/IJISRT20JUN153
Health care services and in particular eye
care in The Gambia is plagued by exorbitant costs both
direct (consultation fee, cost of medication/glasses, etc.)
and indirect (cost of transportation to and from eye
clinic, cost of food/sustenance during eye treatment etc.)
making it luxury and barrier for the poor and
vulnerable of our societies. It is for those reasons that
OneSight decided to commission a survey in The
Gambia. The sampling of the study was a multistage
stratified cluster sampling. At each stage Probability
Proportional to Size and random procedures were
applied to arrive at the actual sample population of
3300 households. The study employed both quantitative
and qualitative research design techniques to collect and
analyze data. The finding of the study illustrated that
nearly 70% of the household’s heads are willing to be
the one to pay for corrective glasses should the need
arise for any member of their household. 80% of the
respondents reported in affirmative that there are costs
required in making eyesight better. It was also disclosed
that respondents are willing to pay for a pair of eye
glasses GMD 0 (free eyeglasses) to GMD 20,000. The
Focus Group Discussion conducted across The Gambia
almost all participants unanimously recommended that
the affordable cost for a pair of glasses should be
GMD50.
Keywords : Eye Health Care Services; Eye Health Care Products, OneSight, Affordability, Cost, Glasses, The Gambia