An Assessment of the Level of Affordability of Eye Health Care Services and Products in the Gambia – Case Study Onesight

Abstract

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.