About the Program

The Fred Hollows Foundation's current approach is to work in close partnership with the Eritrean Ministry of Health (MOH) to implement the national program, which involves the upgrade of eye hospital facilities, the provision of equipment and support for the training of personnel.  

The Foundation has had a long association with Eritrea, beginning with Fred Hollows' first visit to the country in 1986. After Fred's death in 1993 The Foundation continued its involvement in the country. 

In 1994 the Fred Hollows IOL Laboratory was officially opened in Asmara. This followed Fred Hollows' dream of establishing in-country laboratories which produced high quality, low cost intraocular lenses, for use in modern cataract surgery. A Fred Hollows IOL Laboratory was also opened in Nepal that same year.

Until recent years, The Foundation's main involvement in Eritrea was in the development of the Fred Hollows IOL Laboratory, as well as in the training of ophthalmic doctors and nurses.

The long-term goal of The Foundation's work in Eritrea is to contribute to the reduction of avoidable blindness by building the capacity of the public health system to treat and prevent blindness. The Foundation's work also particularly focuses on improving access to eye care services for the poor. 

The Foundation works within the objectives of the National Five Year Strategic Plan for Eye Care. The overall goal of the five year plan is to reduce the level of avoidable blindness in Eritrea by providing good quality, accessible and sustainable eye care services to the population.

A major focus of the plan is to train primary health care workers to treat minor eye infections and to refer more serious cases to specialist eye units. The primary health workers will also be trained in eye health promotion. 

At the secondary level, focus is being placed on training and equipping eye health personnel to treat and manage common eye diseases. At the tertiary level, the aim is to build the capacity of the national hospitals to train and mentor secondary level personnel, as well as provide eye care services.

The strategic plan also includes the short-term use of mobile eye clinics for more remote areas
of Eritrea, until permanent infrastructures are constructed.