Rural populations face a number of challenges - in addition to the majority of health services being located in urban areas, there are very few qualified doctors and nurses on hand. People in rural communities often have to travel hundreds of miles by poor transport networks, and that's if they're lucky enough to have been diagnosed and referred in the first place.
Community Outreach
We want to make sure everyone has access to quality eye care, no matter where they live. This is why, as well as strengthening and equipping local hospitals, we work at a community level - training and educating people about eye health to ensure even the most remote areas receive the best possible treatment.
We work with partners to distribute vital antibiotics to treat and prevent serious eye conditions, such as Zithromax, the antibiotic which tackles trachoma, an excruciatingly painful and blinding disease.
Meet Five Children from India with Hope in Reach
May 30, 2022
India is home to the largest number of blind children in any one country and 9.3 million children with visual impairment. Considering a significant number of these cases are completely avoidable, we have been fighting to change this by improving the quality of pediatric eye care through dedicated projects, like our REACH initiative.
Read full story
But quality eye care isn’t just about treatment. We are committed to educating communities about eye health and work with local partners to communicate crucial information about hygiene and good eye care through radio broadcasts, film screenings and educational materials. We work with local schools to teach children about the importance of getting help, hoping to break some of the stigma associated with seeking help from hospitals.
The Singing Tree
The Singing Tree is a wonderful storybook put together by our colleagues in South Africa to help school children learn about the importance of seeking help if their vision is poor.
In 2018, we distributed the illustrated storybook The Singing Tree in Amharic to 5,000 school eye health clubs and children in Ethiopia for free, to encourage educators, parents and children to seek help when they identify vision problems.
This is just one example of the new and innovative ways we can help fight blindness with your help.
Click on the thumbnails below to read more.
By empowering local communities with information and access, we can ensure no one loses their sight to a preventable or treatable condition.
Donate