About the Program

Every day hundreds of people across Pakistan go blind, often from preventable causes. Those most affected live in remote areas where they are unable to travel to cities for help. They simply can't afford the expense. Women, traditionally unable to travel alone, have particularly suffered. 

Across Pakistan more than 1.49 to 1.54 million people are totally blind yet much of this blindness is avoidable. Cataract blindness accounts for approximately 70% of cases.

While people in Western countries have had ready access to cataract surgery, in Pakistan this is not the case. Most eye care services are only available in Pakistan's major cities, yet nearly 70% of the population lives in rural areas without access to health services. 

The Fred Hollows Foundation is redressing this imbalance across all four provinces of the country - Balochistan, North Western Frontier, Punjab and Sindh.

In collaboration with local agencies The Foundation is providing training and equipping rural hospitals. The Foundation's goal is to reduce the incidence of avoidable blindness across Pakistan.

The Foundation's Pakistan-Australia District Eye Care Program focuses heavily on human resource and infrastructure development, the provision of equipment and surgical instruments and community education.

At the tertiary level the program aims to build the capacity of Comprehensive Eye Care Cells to support and guide a district community eye care program.

At the secondary level the program aims to build the capacity of district headquarter hospitals to enable them to treat common eye diseases and to promote awareness and confidence in district level ophthalmic services.

At the primary level the program aims to enhance the capacity of health workers in rural health centres, government dispensaries and basic health units to treat eye diseases and to educate community members about eye care.  

The program is currently working in 26 districts of the four provinces of Pakistan. When the program's objectives have been achieved, 20% of Pakistan's districts will have the capacity to provide high-quality eye care services and patients will no longer have the cost and disruption of travelling to major city hospitals for services.