ETF Global Needs Assessment — OPTOGLOBE
|
Equipping the Future — ETF Global Needs Assessment
Survey Results 2026
Global Needs Assessment Survey

Instrument Access & Equity
in Optometry Education

A multi-country survey examining the state of optical diagnostic instrument access for optometry students across low- and middle-income countries. Data collected by OPTOGLOBE with funding support from Optometry Giving Sight.

311Respondents
12Countries
7Academic Levels
2026Data Period
71%Do Not Own Instruments
59%School Does Not Provide
88%Unaware of Any Grant
95%Support a Grant Scheme
Student Testimonies
“
Due to lack of adequate practice on the slit lamp, I shook during my practical exam and failed to do anything.
— Optometry student, Uganda
ℹ
Data note: This dashboard presents findings from 311 survey responses collected across 12 countries between February and April 2026. Data is updated periodically. Charts are interactive — hover or tap any element for exact figures. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number.
Section 01

Key Findings

71%
of students do not personally own any optical diagnostic instrument
221 of 311 respondents
59%
report their school does not provide adequate instrument access
182 of 311 respondents
68%
cannot practice certain clinical skills independently due to lack of access
210 of 311 respondents
88%
are unaware of any grant or scheme to assist with instrument purchase
275 of 311 respondents
49%
rated limitation of clinical competence due to access at 5 out of 5
Combined score 4–5: 163 of 311 respondents (52%)
95%
believe a grant or scholarship scheme for instruments would be beneficial
297 of 311 respondents
Section 02

Ownership & Access

Personal Instrument Ownership

Do you personally own any optical diagnostic equipment?

School Instrument Provision

Does your school provide optical instruments for student use?

Students Sharing One Instrument

How many students typically share one unit of the most common instrument in your department?

Limitation of Clinical Competence

On a scale of 1–5, how much does lack of access limit your ability to develop clinical competence?

Section 03

Impact on Training

Effects of Limited Instrument Access on Training

How does limited or no access to instruments affect your training? (Multiple responses permitted — total exceeds 311)

Most Needed Instrument

Which single diagnostic instrument would most improve your training if you had reliable personal access to it?

Year of Study Distribution

Distribution of survey respondents by academic year of study

Section 04

Grant & Financial Support

70%
of respondents would prefer to receive a personal set of instruments rather than a shared departmental set — underscoring the need for individual ownership as a policy priority.

Grant Scheme Beneficial?

Do you think a grant or scholarship for optical instrument purchase would be beneficial?

Likelihood to Apply for a Grant

How likely would you be to apply for a grant or scholarship to assist with instrument purchase?

Preferred Type of Assistance

What type of financial assistance would be most helpful? (Multiple responses permitted)

Estimated Funding Required (USD)

How much funding do you think is necessary to effectively support students in your country?

Section 05

Respondent Demographics

Institution Type

What type of institution do you attend?

Awareness of Existing Schemes

Are you aware of any grants or schemes available to help optometry students purchase instruments?

Section 06

Geographic Distribution

Respondents by Country

311 total responses from 12 countries across sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East

#CountryDistributionn

OPTOGLOBE — Equipping the Future (ETF) Global Needs Assessment Survey

Funded by Optometry Giving Sight  |  Executed by OPTOGLOBE- The Global Optometry Student Community and & all its member organizations

enquiries@optoglobe.org  |  Data updated April 2026  |  n = 311