Lives transformed by saving sight in China's poor communities
China has up to 6.6 million blind people – 18% of the world’s blind.
About the project
Quality, affordable eye care is on the way for thousands in south-west China, through a project with our partners ORBIS International.
We are treating people with eye disease and providing much-needed cataract operations. But we are also laying the strong foundations of better general eye care capacity for the future.
Accessible, affordable, quality eye care is not generally available here. Doctors lack specialist training and equipment – and most are in urban areas while many blind people live in rural areas. Treatments are expensive – often costing an average year’s income. Health insurance is inadequate. Awareness of blindness prevention and treatment is low.
China has up to 6.6 million blind people – 18% of the world’s blind. As in the rest of the world, cataract is the main cause of preventable blindness, alongside childhood diseases, cornea disease, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. With the world’s most rapidly ageing population, China faces yet more complex eye care problems to come.
ORBIS has been working to increase the number of cataract surgeries by reducing the cost, and increasing affordability.
Through this project, we will have:
- Trained 900 primary health care workers; 60 refractionists and 60 ophthalmologists
- Medically treated 156,000 people for specific eye diseases
- Surgically treated 16,000 people for cataracts and other eye diseases
- Provided Behavioural Change Communication / Eye Health Education to 600,000 people
- Helped 648,000 wider family members.
Other projects in China
“...through the Seeing is Believing initiative, millions of people are receiving vital eye care and lives are being transformed beyond measure.”Geoffrey Holland, Executive Director and CEO, ORBIS International
- Period
- 2008 - 2010
- Partner
- ORBIS International