“In Ghana, as with other parts of Africa the lack of available eye care services, especially in rural and semi-rural areas, means many Ghanaians have never received eye care. School screening programs are being conducted to determine the prevalence of refractive error in school aged children. Information being gathered is making a real, measurable impact on the accessibility of eye care in West Africa.”

Anne Ebri, Country Manager, West Africa, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

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Location: Ghana
Image: Brien Holden Vision Institute

 

“This three year program in south-central Ethiopia aims to serve over 100,000 children and women by 2017 by increasing the number of eye care professionals and optometrists in local communities.The program has established a school education initiative  to facilitate screenings and teach both teachers and children about the importance of eye care.”

Aicha Mokdahi, Executive Director, Vision For Life - Essilor

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Location: Ethiopia
Partners: Vision For Life – Essilor, Global Poverty Action Fund (UK)
Image: Vision Aid Overseas

 

“In Pakistan, our approach to child eye health programs is to align education and health systems, so quality services are available and accessible to all children. Our program also communicates culturally appropriate health messages to communities to bring a positive behaviour change in this generation and many to come.”

Sumrana Yasmin, Regional Director, South East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

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Location: Pakistan
Partners: CHIP, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
Image: Brien Holden Vision Institute

 

“Amazingly, there are more females having eye examinations than males in Ba Ria – Vung Tau Province. Here, they can easily access eye care services through school screening programs, and at vision centres. A pair of quality and affordable eyeglasses is now always easily accessed in the province.”

Ha Thanh Phuong, Service Development Manager, Vietnam and Cambodia, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

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Image: Brien Holden Vision Institute
Partners: Ba Ria - Vung Tau Provincial Eye Hospital,
BR-VT Department of Health
Location: Vietnam

 

“The biggest satisfaction of working for Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor is to be able to see the little faces of boys and girls full of happiness. Because from the moment they receive a pair of eye glasses, their lives will change forever, they will see a whole new world. They do not only thank you with words, but also with gestures - with a big smile.”

Verónica Sandría Hernández, Optometrist.

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Location: Mexico
Image: Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor

 

“In Haiti there are only three optometrists and six ophthalmologists for 10 million people. Most children have never had an eye exam. Optometry Giving Sight is part of a coalition seeking to contribute to the reconstruction of Haiti through establishing the School of Optometry at Haiti University. The school aims to produce 16 students per year, who upon graduation will reach a minimum of 24,000 patients during their first professional year.”

Clive Miller, CEO, Optometry Giving Sight.

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Location: Haiti
Partners: Brien Holden Vision Institute, VOSH International, l’Universite d’Etate d’Haiti
Image: Optometry Giving Sight

 

Vision Aid Overseas is an important member of Zambia’s National Prevention of Blindness Committee. Together with our partners, Vision Aid Overseas is:

• Developing a diploma course in optometry at Chainama College of Health Sciences in Lusaka, working with the Zambian Ministry of Health and Sightsavers;
• Supporting 10 vision centres across Zambia.
• Supporting community eye care services, working with both ophthalmic nurses and ophthalmic clinical officers.

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Location: Zambia
Image: Vision Aid Overseas

 

Vision Aid Overseas is fighting poverty by transforming access to eye care. We are committed to creating sustainable solutions that combat uncorrected refractive error in developing countries.

Problems with sight are one of the top ten factors affecting the health of Zambians. Effective eye care services and dispensaries for Zambia’s 14 million population are scarce and there are an estimated three million people with uncorrected refractive error.

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Location: Zambia
Image: Vision Aid Overseas

 

“When children receive their new pair of glasses it is such a transforming experience for them inside and outside the classroom. You see the immediate impact on the children who get their vision corrected and how they then interact with their teachers and peers. Our programs have already helped change the lives of over 220,000 children in the US, but there are still an estimated 1 in 4 children here with a vision problem significant enough to affect their learning.”

Kim Schuy, President, Essilor Vision Foundation, USA.

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Location: Kids Vision Fest, USA
Partners: Kids Vision for Life
Image: Essilor Vision Foundation

 

A child who is given the gift of sight has been given back her freedom. Millions of children worldwide are unnecessarily blind or vision impaired. A pair of glasses is often all that is required to improve vision. Keo loves to ride her bike, especially around her village. She says it is one of her most favourite things and it makes her feel happy. If she didn’t have glasses, she would not be able to see or do the one thing that gives her the most joy.

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Location: Cambodia
Partners: Brien Holden Vision Institute
Image: Revo

 

Many children around the world have difficulty seeing their loved ones, reading the chalkboard at school or being able to play outside with their friends.

Louchana from Limbe in Haiti was suffering terrible headaches when trying to read at school and could not concentrate. Like millions of children suffering poor vision due to avoidable blindness, Louchana’s future was in doubt.

However, after an eye screening and a new pair of glasses, everything changed for her. With her new glasses Louchana may now participate fully in her studies and in life.

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Location: Haiti
Partners: Brien Holden Vision Institute, VOSH International, l’Universite d’Etate d’Haiti
Image: Optometry Giving Sight

 

“We wanted Cambodian children, regardless of gender, race, religion or social class, to equally have an eye check. We are committed to children believing blurry vision can get better. Children often don’t know they aren’t seeing well and have nothing to compare their vision to. So, early vision checks are important – they enable children to perform at their best academically, athletically and socially.”

Neath Kong, Country Coordinator, Cambodia, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

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Location: Cambodia
Partners: Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport, Ministry of Health, Optometry Giving Sight
Image: Brien Holden Vision Institute

 

“Implementing child eye health into primary schools in Tanzania has been a thrilling experience. Screening children from birth to school-age leads to early identification and treatment of eye problems which can cause blindness. We use school teachers to screen, identify and then refer children with eye problems to the hospital for further treatment. Our outreach programs are making sure that even the most disadvantaged children receive eye care services.”

Eden Rodrick Mashayo, Country Officer, Tanzania, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

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Location: Tanzania
Partners: Ministry of Health, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
Image: Brien Holden Vision Institute

 

A volunteer from VOSH-SE dilates a young boy’s eye, which will allow the optometrist to view the inside of the eyes and temporarily relaxes the child’s focusing power so that nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism can be accurately measured.

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Location: Paraguay
Image: VOSH International

 

“Around 25% of primary school children in China have uncorrected poor vision. Through the “Eye Do” program, over 100,000 students have already been screened  across 3 provinces. We plan to expand the program to 20 provinces and serve 900,000 more children over the coming 5 years.”

Kelly Zhu, Head of Essilor Vision Foundation in China.

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Location: China
Partners: Aier Hospital, Essilor China
Image: Essilor Vision Foundation

 

In El Salvador, 42% of the population live in poverty, 70% of public hospitals do not have vision care services, nor do 85% of the rural population. Optometry Giving Sight provides financial support for FUDEM’s ‘Windows of Light’ program. The program sends local eye care professionals to schools, to conduct  eye exams, provide glasses, and give referrals at no cost.

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Location: El Salvador
Partner: FUDEM
Image: Optometry Giving Sight

 

“Ver Bien visited my school and I was examined by Angela. I didn’t know that I needed eye glasses. Now I´m so happy because I can see very well. I don´t stutter anymore when I read. Thank you very much Ver Bien.”

Luis, 6th Grade

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Location: Mexico
Image: Ver Bien para Aprender Mejor

 

“This year, PNG Eye Care is screening 2,000 children in Port Moresby. Good vision for a child does not only help the child to see better, but helps him or her learn effectively and eventually contributes to the entire family, community and country as a whole.”

Samuel Peter Koim, Senior Manager, PNG Eye Care.

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Location: Papua New Guinea
Partners: Brien Holden Vision Institute, USAID, Department of Health
Image: PNG Eye Care

 

“We want to raise awareness on the benefits of vision correction but, more importantly, encourage every child, no matter what their background, to enjoy school and live life to its fullest thanks to the gift of good vision.” 

Jayanth Bhuvaraghan, Chief Corporate Mission Officer, Essilor International

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Location: Hapur – Uttar Pradesh, India
Partners: Essilor India
Image: Essilor Vision Foundation

 

“Pakistan faces a multitude of challenges around gender. Reaching out to girls and provision of eye health services are key components of our School Eye Health Program. Improved access to eye care and health education has given these girls the opportunity to perform better in school, promote eye health, and be part of greater activities within their community - it also bring smiles.”

Sumrana Yasmin, Regional Director, South East Asia and Eastern Mediterranean, Brien Holden Vision Institute.

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Location: Pakistan
Partners: CHIP, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
Image: Brien Holden Vision Institute