Our Annual Report: Lives Changed Together
It is with great pleasure that we share the Himalayan Cataract Project’s 2020 Annual Report with you.
Download HCP's 2020 Annual Report here.
2020 will be forever remembered as a year unlike any other. Amidst the turbulence caused by Covid-19 and its impact on the provision of global eye care, HCP reached many important milestones and continued to be an important source of hope to our patients and partners thanks to your tireless support.
In spite of Covid-19’s many challenges, HCP and its partners around the world provided 716,263 eye examinations and basic treatment, including 55,828 surgeries in 2020. Because of your compassion and generosity, we were able to support our in-country teams so they could continue to provide critical eye care to those most in need. We quickly provided PPE - masks, shields and gloves - and helped implement safety protocols to protect patients and medical personnel. Our vital network of partners knew they were not alone.
Cause for Celebration
One Million Sight-Restoring Surgeries. Thanks to so many of you who share our vision of a world free of needless cataract blindness, HCP achieved a major milestone in 2020. Together with our partners, we surpassed the one million surgery mark. Fitting that we should reach this target during our 25th Anniversary Year of restoring sight to people in some of the most remote and under-resourced places in the world.
Breaking Ground at New Eye Center. In August, HCP broke ground on our fifth dedicated eye hospital and training center, the 27,000 square foot Bahir Dar Specialty Eye Center in Ethiopia. When it opens its doors in 2022, the Eye Center will elevate the standard of care and ophthalmic training provided in the Amhara region.
We anticipate that the Eye Center will provide cataract surgeries for 45,000 patients and training for hundreds of ophthalmic personnel in its first five years of operation.
Twenty five years ago, HCP began with the singular vision of a world free of unnecessary cataract blindness. From our beginnings in the Himalayas to reaching our one millionth surgery milestone in 2020, our mission remains the same - to cure needless cataract blindness with the highest quality care at the lowest cost.
We celebrate these milestones with you. We see the impact you have made every day in the smiling faces of those who have regained their sight.
The pandemic has been an important reminder of the importance of reaching the unreachable patients, and bringing eye care where medical services are limited. We hope you will continue to celebrate our anniversary and embark on our next 25 years of innovation in global eye care.
