Eritrea

Our Work In Eritrea

Eritrea has a population of more than 6 million and most recent evidence suggests that the prevalence of blindness in the country may be among the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa.

Cataract is the cause of 55% of blindness, making it the leading cause of visual impairment in Eritrea. Trachoma, a severe and infectious eye disease, is endemic in 22 out of 58 sub-regions.

Globally, 80% of cases are avoidable and can be treated through simple and inexpensive measures. However, with a large percentage of the population of Eritrea living in rural areas, there are barriers stopping people from accessing eye health services.

These include a lack of awareness of eye health issues, difficulty accessing available services and the high costs of treatment.

OUR ACHIEVEMENTS

We are currently implementing projects in all six districts of Eritrea. The Foundation supported the establishment of the National Blindness Prevention Programme (NBPP) and championed the development of two national five-year strategic plans for eye care between 2006 and 2015.

These form the framework for the prevention of avoidable blindness in Eritrea. The Foundation is continuing to train eye health workers and provide information on the treatment and prevention of common causes of avoidable blindness.

2019 RESULTS:

Helping people see

126,792 people screened
60,466 eye operations and treatments performed including:
8,028 cataract operations
283 diabetic retinopathy treatments
1,693 surgeries to treat trachoma
50,462 other sight saving or improving interventions
91,611 people treated with antibiotics for trachoma
1,514 pairs of glasses distributed

Investing in people:

1,339 people trained including:
6 surgeons
1,333 community health workers trained
69,536 school children and community members educated in eye health and sanitation

CONTACT US

Phone: +251 11 618 1042

Office Address: 22 Mazoria Haile G/Selassie Avenue, Rebecca Building 4th Floor, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Email: [email protected]

THIS has been your impact over the last year

In 2019, The Foundation focused on building a powerful eye health network with other partners and organisations to achieve more - this is having a massive impact!

The Fred Hollows Foundation hasn’t stopped for 28 years, and we won’t stop until no-one faces a future of avoidable blindness.

This year will be our toughest year yet, and now more than ever we will rely on our loyal donors to continue our life-changing work. Thank you for staying with us! Like what you see? Give us a like, share this video, and subscribe! Subscribe to our channel here