With healthy eyes, entire communities are thriving because of YOU!

Written by Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, President and CEO, published on July 23, 2019 Give the Gift of Sight

Operation Eyesight’s Community Eye Health Program model sets us apart from other organizations fighting avoidable blindness – because we focus on more than just eye health. While restoring sight and preventing blindness is at the heart of our mission, we can’t simply treat “eye patients” and ignore other health problems.

Targeting eye health alone isn’t enough to eliminate avoidable blindness; if other health care needs aren’t met, there will still be people suffering from vision problems or other conditions. For example, vitamin A deficiency results in preventable childhood blindness, and increases the risk of death from common childhood illnesses such as diarrhea.

nurses administer vitamin A supplements to child in India
One of the root causes of avoidable blindness is vitamin A deficiency. Here, a nurse gives a child a vitamin A supplement to help prevent blindness and promote general health.

With your help, we’re enabling poor communities to lead healthier and more productive lives. Not only do we educate target communities about eye health, but we also address their essential health care needs. Our trained community health workers educate communities about eye health and general health (such as the importance of vitamin A) and create awareness of the eye care services available in or around the community. They also collaborate with health care staff to deliver services such as immunizations.

We’re always proud to report the number of sight-restoring cataract surgeries performed or prescription eyeglasses dispensed, but the pinnacle of our work is the healthy communities that are empowered to lead happy and productive lives. For example, we’ve declared 1,020 villages as avoidable blindness-free. In these villages, mortality rates have dropped significantly and school enrollment rates have increased.

Thanks to YOU, entire communities have been transformed!

There are still thousands of communities that need your help! Please donate today to prevent blindness and restore sight to some of the most vulnerable people in Africa and Asia.