Big steps are being taken in eliminating childhood blindness in Pakistan through The Fred Hollows Foundation's support of the work of Mayo Eye Hospital in Lahore.

Just recently, Dr Ashaal from the hospital’s paediatric unit restored sight to five-year-old twin brothers, Maoz and Moawiz, both suffering from bilateral cataract blindness - two of over 15,000 eye surgeries done at the hospital every year.
 
The boys came from Sialkot, around two hours drive from Lahore, and received free surgery.
 
The Mayo Hospital is a centre of excellence and Pakistan’s largest eye health teaching hospital. Established in 1871, the hospital sees over half a million people a year with varying eye health conditions.
 
About 500 eye health workers are being trained every year including 72 ophthalmologists and around 100 nurses.
 
The Mayo Hospital carries out important sub-specialty training including community eye health, paediatric and vitro-retinal fellowships.
                                                                                                           
In Pakistan the rate of blindness has decreased from 1.8 percent of the population in the mid-90s to 0.9 per cent in the last survey. That means over one million more people can see again because of the work of Pakistan’s eye health sector.

This news story was written and photographed by local participants at a communications workshop conducted by The Fred Hollows Foundation in Lahore, Pakistan, in February 2012.

To read more about the Foundation's work with childhood blindness, click here