Most eye care professionals are disproportionately located and practicing in urban areas, while the majority of people living with blindness live in rural areas. In 2000, Orbis began carrying out long-term projects to help create quality, affordable, and accessible eye care for rural communities. Working closely with our partners, we continue to mentor, train, and inspire local teams to save sight in their communities.
China
8.7 million people are living with blindness in China, 4.7 million with severe vision loss, and 46 million with moderate vision loss according to a 2019 survey.
14.1 MILLION
people suffering from blindness and visual impairment
36,000
people to everyone one ophthalmologist
ONLY 32%
of ophthalmologists can perform independent surgery
Success in China
Since establishing an office in Beijing in 1999, we’ve helped create quality, affordable and accessible eye care for rural communities, particularly in western China’s remote ethnic minority areas.
We are recognized as a leading blindness prevention organization in China and are considered by the International Association for the Prevention of Blindness and other nongovernmental organizations as one of most capable, effective and professional blindness prevention organizations in China.
In fact, in 2020 we delivered:
Impact In 2022
650
Trainings for eye care professionals
33,400
community eye screenings and examinations
2,040
eye surgeries performed
986,000
patients accessing eye health services
Orbis is also recognized by the Chinese Ministry of Health as a key partner in eye care. This collaboration has led to the largest study of blindness in China's rural areas, a major initiative across six provinces and 60 hospitals to train eye care teams according to international standards, and a full assessment of ophthalmic capacity at China's 2,800 county hospitals.
You've given Shunwen hope for a brighter future
July 26, 2017
Sporting a pink sweater and holding the hand of her legal guardian, seven-year-old Shunwen Wang smiles when spoken to and easily breaks into giggles. She exhibits the hallmark signs of having limited or distorted vision: eyes not responding to motion, yet darting erratically to track the location of sounds and voices in her immediate vicinity.
Read full story
What We’re Doing Next
We’re working to find sustainable solutions to address the lack of quality, affordable and accessible eye care services for the rural poor. We’re building rural eye care networks, developing partner ophthalmic skills and addressing the issue of childhood blindness throughout China.
Additionally, we’re collaborating with the Chinese Ministry of Health to address diabetic eye disease and retinopathy of prematurity. We’re also leading a collaborative effort in the much needed area of residency training in China and Mongolia, working with the International Council of Ophthalmology and the Chinese Council of Ophthalmology.
Thanks to your support we're making great ground in the fight against avoidable blindness in China. But there's still a long way to go to reach the 13 million visually impaired children who lack the treatment they need to have the vision they deserve.
Can you help fight avoidable blindness in China?
Donate todayPartners
- Chinese Ministry of Health
- International Association for the Prevention of Blindness
- International Council of Ophthalmology
- Chinese Council of Ophthalmology
