World Sight Day 2025 at Dr. Sumait Hospital, Mogadishu, Somalia: Meeting Report of a Community Eye Screening and Expert Panel

: World Sight Day 2025 (“Love Your Eyes”) was marked at Dr. Sumait Hospital, SIMAD University, Mogadishu, Somalia, on 9 October 2025 through the “Every Eye Counts” forum, combining invited talks, an expert panel discussion, and a free community eye screening. Screening included registration and brief history, presenting visual acuity assessment (with pinhole where indicated), anterior segment examination, risk-based intraocular pressure assessment, refraction when appropriate, and targeted posterior segment assessment for participants with diabetes/hypertension or clinical suspicion. A total of 628 community members attended; 59% (n=370) were female and 18% (n=113) were aged 6–17 years. Among participants with reduced acuity, impairment was most commonly associated with uncorrected refractive error and suspected cataract. The most frequently identified conditions were uncorrected refractive errors (41%), suspected cataract (23%), allergic conjunctivitis (19%), glaucoma risk (9%), and diabetic/ hypertensive retinopathy changes (4%). On-site interventions included ready-made spectacles for 162 individuals (26%) and protective sunglasses for 51 participants, with health education reaching an estimated 480 attendees. In total, 134 patients (21%) were referred for specialist evaluation (64 cataract surgical evaluation; 28 glaucoma evaluation; 22 diabetic retinopathy assessment; 20 pediatric ophthalmology review). This report summarizes the forum themes, service outputs, and practical next steps to strengthen screening-to-care pathways in Somalia.