ETHIOPIA

ETHIOPIA

Our Work in Ethiopia

We began working in Ethiopia in 2018 through our work with Partners in Education Ethiopia. Over our five years working in Ethiopia, we have built partnerships with ophthalmic departments at five hospitals across the country and have so far established vision centres at three of these hospitals.

In 2022, these vision centres provided eye exams for more than 12,000 people and dispensed 435 pairs of eyeglasses.

Thanks to investments in supplies, healthcare staff training and infrastructure in 2022, the vision centres can now refer patients requiring advanced care such as cataracts surgery to hospital.

In 2022, we trained 23 local health workers to conduct door-to-door eye health screenings in the community. We also provided advanced training to 12 ophthalmic personnel and primary eye care training to 13 health professionals. Additionally, we trained 14 teachers in eye health screening.

We worked with the Bahir Dar University (BDU), located in the state of Amhara, College of Medicine and Health Sciences to establish well-equipped examination rooms for training medical students. These students in turn screened school teachers in the community for eye health problems and also taught teachers to conduct eye health screenings for their students. As a result, nearly 5,000 students were screened, and those requiring treatment were referred to a vision centre.

Despite setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we expanded our work with Partners in Education Ethiopia, impacting more patients and families than ever before. With support from the Peter Gilgan Foundation, we implemented WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) projects, drilling boreholes in three communities and providing clean water to help prevent the spread of blinding trachoma. We also worked alongside five schools to provide resources and education materials supporting hand and face washing, personal hygiene and menstrual hygiene management.

2022 Impact

12,418

People screened for eye conditions

879

Sight-saving surgeries

62

Health workers, volunteers, teachers, and ophthalmic staff trained

4,919

Students and school staff screened through school eye health programs

435

Pairs of eyeglasses dispensed

Learn more about our work in Ethiopia in 2022.

Success stories from Ethiopia

Our current priorities in Ethiopia

Through door-to-door surveys and school eye health programs, we are expanding our presence in several project areas.  

We are also working to bring sanitation and wash facilities to schools and communities. 

How can you help

Contact us today to learn more about philanthropy opportunities in Ethiopia.