ZAMBIA

ZAMBIA

Our Work in Zambia

We have been working alongside communities in Zambia since 2001 and have been recognized by the Ministry of Health as a key partner in creating access to affordable eye health care across the country.

In 2022, we launched the upgraded vision centre and operating theatre at Maamba Hospital, established in partnership with Maamba Collieries Limited. We also continued to support the University Teaching Hospital in Lusaka with surgical kits, consumables and medications.

We joined the Eye Health Partners Consortium to forward our ongoing advocacy for government support of eye health. The consortium aims to strengthen partnerships across the country and better leverage resources to deliver eye care.

Clean water and avoidable blindness 

We drill and rehabilitate boreholes in Zambian communities where trachoma is prevalent. Lack of access to fresh water and inadequate hygiene often contributes to the spread of trachoma and other infectious diseases.  

Access to clean water allows people to wash their hands, faces and clothing and prevent the spread of infection.  

In recent years, we’ve shifted our focus from drilling new water boreholes to rehabilitating existing, defunct boreholes. The cost savings from this approach allow us to reach more communities. Partnership with local communities and governments empowers communities to test water quality and maintain their borehole. 

Our borehole projects continue to be a key part of our work to prevent blinding trachoma in Zambia. In 2022, we rehabilitated 120 boreholes in Central Province, which means more than 120,000 people now have local access to clean water to wash their hands, faces and clothing, provide water for their livestock, grow nutritious produce and more.

2022 Impact

16,004

People screened through door-to-door surveys

20,378

Eye exams

646

Sight-saving surgeries

1,758

Pairs of eyeglasses dispensed

14,489

Students screened through school eye health programs

120

Boreholes rehabilitated

122

Area Pump Minders trained to maintain and repair boreholes

Learn more about our work in Zambia in 2022.

Success stories from Zambia

Our current priorities in Zambia

  • Expand our school eye health programs in Zambia  
  • Rehabilitate more boreholes and provide hygiene and sanitation education  
  • Implementing the full SAFE strategy in Zambia’s Central Province  
  • Expanding our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Project into more communities 

How can you help

Contact us today to learn more about philanthropy opportunities in Zambia