Achievements

The Pakistan-Australia District Eye Care Program has made significant progress since it was established in 2002. Achievements include:

• 25 eye units of the District Head Quater Hospitals upgraded comprehensively
• 38 million people are likely to benefit from upgrading of facilities
• 1.3 million patients visited the out patients department in the 25 district eye units since they were upgraded
• Supported 4 teritary hospitals attached to the Comprehensive Eye Care (CEC) cells through equipment and infrastructure
  
• The cataract surgical rate has increased by around 45% at the district level
• More than 100 ophthalmologists have been trained in microsurgery and have been provided with microscopes and surgical instruments
• A comprehensive approach to eye care has been developed to allow district hospitals in
  each province to provide affordable treatment to rural patients
• More than 45,675 cataract operations have been performed as a direct result of the efforts of the program
• Involvement in the establishment of the Punjab Institute of Preventive Ophthalmology which will enable  the training of ophthalmologists, research  and policy development 
• In 2005 The Foundation responded to the South Asia earthquake which affected thousands of people in Pakistan

In 2006 the Pakistan-Australia District Eye Care Program continued to support eye units and eye health personnel in 26 districts of all four provinces of Pakistan through providing training, surgical equipment, infrastructure development and community education.