The wait for life-changing cataract surgery
Thousands in Laos wait, hoping to see again.
More than 16,000 people in Laos are waiting for cataract surgery
There are only 4 ophthalmologists per million people in Laos, leaving families with little or no access to eye care.
Women make up 70% of the cataract backlog, yet they are the least likely to receive treatment.
Training the next generation of eye health leaders
Your support doesn’t just restore sight today, it builds lasting change in communities across Laos.
Dr Senglar Laosern is one of the few female ophthalmologists in Oudomxay, northern Laos. Every year, she leaves her family behind to travel to remote villages and restore sight for people who cannot access treatment.
Dr Senglar discovered her passion for eye health after receiving training through The Fred Hollows Foundation. She went on to specialise in ophthalmology, completing her residency in Thailand and returning to serve at Oudomxay Eye Hospital. Today, Dr Senglar travels to remote villages, screening patients and performing cataract surgeries through mobile eye camps so even the most isolated communities can access care.
Your kindness makes this possible. The Foundation equips surgeons like Dr Senglar with the skills, equipment, and resources needed to deliver life-changing care.
Making Fred’s vision a reality
"It’s obscene to let people go blind when they simply don’t have to." Fred dreamed of a world without avoidable blindness—and thanks to you, his vision lives on.
Thanks to kind people like you, thousands of lives in Laos have changed. Just last year we:
- Screened 40,641 people
- Carried out 13,026 eye operations & treatments
- Performed 3,458 cataract surgeries
- Distributed 7,236 pairs of glasses
- Trained 1,315 local eye health workers
- Equipped or upgraded 380 facilities
Behind every statistic is a life transformed thanks to compassionate people like you.
