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.

358Respondents
13Countries
7Academic Levels
2026Data Period
69%Do Not Own Instruments
59%School Does Not Provide
87%Unaware of Any Grant
96%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 358 survey responses collected across 13 countries between February and April 2026. Charts are interactive — hover or tap any element for exact figures. Percentages are rounded to the nearest whole number. Multi-select questions may produce totals exceeding 358.
Section 01

Key Findings

69%
of students do not personally own any optical diagnostic instrument
248 of 358 respondents
59%
report their school does not provide adequate instrument access
211 of 358 respondents
68%
cannot practice certain clinical skills independently due to lack of access
244 of 358 respondents
87%
are unaware of any grant or scheme to assist with instrument purchase
312 of 358 respondents
53%
rated limitation of clinical competence at 4 or 5 out of 5
189 of 358 respondents; 28% scored the maximum 5
96%
believe a grant or scholarship scheme for instruments would be beneficial
342 of 358 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 358)

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 core 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

358 total responses from 13 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 & all its member organisations

enquiries@optoglobe.org  |  Data updated April 2026  |  n = 358