Himalayan Cataract Project 2015 Annual Report
We are very pleased to present our 2015 Annual Report, highlighting our efforts in the Himalayas and Sub-Saharan Africa to eliminate needless blindness in areas that need it most—from Taunggyi, Myanmar; to Mangarh, India; to Harar, Ethiopia. With your assistance and together with our partners, we reached a record number of people—over 940,000—and provided a record number of surgeries—over 83,000, in addition to training 79 eye care providers.
The year 2015 will be forever remembered as the year that two major earthquakes struck Nepal, leaving thousands dead and tens of thousands without food and shelter. In the face of almost overwhelming suffering and need, the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology pivoted overnight into a national relief center, taking in trauma patients and using its full network to deliver emergency medicines and supplies to thousands of people in devastated outlying areas. This response was in no small way fueled by your generous support.
The tragedy of the earthquakes is a strong reminder of the importance of partnerships in forging a more connected world that is responsive to local challenges and opportunities. The efforts highlighted in this report have come about through strong partnerships. In Nepal, in addition to the earthquake response, Tilganga was able to grow its network of community eye centers as well as continue to expand its efforts outside of Nepal, in Myanmar and Indonesia, for example. In Ethiopia, we are working with partners in five different regions to improve systems of eye health with support from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. In Ghana, we are expanding partnerships to reach more patients.
Leveraging the strength of our growing network, we believe that together we can eliminate avoidable blindness and that we can do it within our lifetime. We cannot thank you enough for the support you have provided to make our work possible. On behalf of all of our Staff, Board and program partners, thank you.
