AIM: To determine the prevalence and distribution of systemic co-morbidities, identify factors associated with poor control of systemic diseases and barriers to uptake of cataract surgery among cataract patients presenting at Community Ophthalmology Eye Outreach Clinic of University College Hospital, Ibadan so as to promote and increase the uptake of cataract surgery. METHOD: The study was a Hospital-based descriptive cross-sectional study conducted among adult cataract patients of age 40years and above between January and April 2014. All consecutive patients who met the study criteria were enrolled for the study. An interviewer based semi-structured questionnaire was administered, ocular and systemic examinations as well as random blood glucose evaluation were carried out. The prevalence and distribution of systemic co-morbidities were identified based on the cataract surgery protocol by the World Health Organization and the effects of systemic co-morbidities on uptake of cataract surgeries were determined. Data obtained was analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences statistics software version 21 with chi-square test done at a level of statistical significance set at p-value <0.05.