ABC NEWS | Gift of Sight: US Doctor's $11 Fix for Epidemic
We've accomplished a lot since that story ran. But there's still a mountain of work to do.
Since this story aired, our impact has continued to grow. Together, with partners, we've accomplished:
- Over 1.4 million sight-restoring surgeries completed
- 14.5 million people received eye screenings and basic treatment
- Over 19,500 eye care professional from 43 countries attended training including 552 ophthalmologists
- 5 eye hospitals/training institutes established
- 50,000 cases of corneal blindness prevented
- 200,000 corneal transplants performed
To date, HCP Cureblindness has worked in over 25 countries in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa with core country operations in Nepal, Bhutan, India, Ethiopia, and Ghana. Expansion initiatives are underway in countries including South Sudan, Tanzania, Rwanda, the Philippines, Eritrea, and Somaliland.
There's still more to do.
Globally, 43 million people are blind - 80% of which is treatable or preventable. For millions of people, blindness is treatable. Unfortunately, 90% of people suffering from vision loss live in low- and middle-income countries where a solution isn’t available. Without care, blindness dramatically affects individuals, their families and their communities.
