We are committed to building high-quality, cost-effective eye care systems that enable people to regain their sight—or never lose it in the first place.
Cure Blindness Project enables countries to cure avoidable blindness by developing high-quality, cost-effective eye care in underserved areas of the world. This restores not only sight, but the chance for a better life for anyone who suffers from avoidable blindness, their families and friends and the whole community.
By training and equipping local medical experts to cure again and again within their own communities, we build a sustainable source of care that can help prevent needless blindness for generations to come.
1. Local Capacity
We provide training for clinical and non-clinical personnel, which helps expand access to quality eye care. Having always-accessible local care makes all the difference in patient outcomes.
2. Infrastructure & Equipment
We ensure that trained personnel have the appropriate tools to apply their skills–and ultimately, give patients the best possible eye care.
3. Patient Care
We support our partners as they provide direct service to patients. We also expand partnerships to make sure our patients have access to care for many different eye diseases.
4. Prevention
We provide training for community health workers so that they can provide comprehensive eye care at the primary care level. This helps catch and treat eye diseases at earlier stages.
Cure Blindness Project has grown beyond the Himalayas to tackle needless blindness in over 30 countries in South Asia, sub-Saharan Africa and South America with core countries of Bhutan, Ethiopia, Ghana, India and Nepal.
Cure Blindness Project began work with partners in Ethiopia in 2008. Today, we have 18 in-country implementing partners and country office located in Addis Ababa.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
SightLife International began work in India in 2009. Their efforts addressed corneal blindness with a heavy focus on eye bank development. Cure Blindness Project acquired SightLife International in 2023.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project first began work in Ghana in 2006 with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Jumaal. Today, we have 14 implementing partners and a volunteer network of collaborators.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
In 2023, Cure Blindness Project began work in partnership with SEE International. Here, they organized and supported four surgical outreaches that helped thousands by providing free cataract surgeries.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Eritrea has a population of more than 6 million and most evidence suggests that the prevalence of blindness in the country may be among the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Cure Blindness Project began working in Eritrea in 2019.
sight-restoring surgeries
Since 2011, Cure Blindness Project has performed 19 surgical outreaches with partners in South Sudan. Cure Blindness outreaches present opportunities to transfer skills to in-country medical staff and increase in-country capacity to treat those in need of eye care.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Since 2011, Cure Blindness Project has supported outreaches and trainings to expand local capacity in Indonesia.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
For more than 20 years, Cure Blindness Project has partnered with the Royal Government of Bhutan to develop a comprehensive eye care system for the nation of more than 750,000. Cure Blindness Project has supported specialized training for all eight practicing ophthalmologists and dozens of paramedical staff.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project first started in Nepal, believing that curing cataract blindness here would take a lifetime. From 1994-2014, the rate of blindness in Nepal decreased by 70%. Today, Nepal is home to the premiere Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), a center of excellence in eye care and a top-in-class training facility.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
This region’s proximity to Nepal made it a logical place for Cure Blindness Project to expand with direct care and training opportunities to increase local capacity. We began working here in 2004 in collaboration with the Qinghai Tibet Research Institute to complete a new eye care center in Xining, Qinghai Province.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
As part of the Millennium Villages Project that committed to interventions for approximately 60,000 people in 12 villages across ten countries, Cure Blindness Project first visited Uganda in 2008 to cure cataract blindness through surgical outreaches.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Working with in-country partners, Cure Blindness Project visited Tanzania twice in 2023 to cure blindness from both cataracts and trachomatous trichiasis (TT).
sight-restoring surgeries
Cure Blindness Project began work in Kenya in 2006. Today, we continue to support with training and outreaches that include cornea transplants, screenings and cataract surgeries.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project's work in Rwanda began in 2007 with its support of a subspecialty cornea fellowship. The fellowship recipient, Dr. John Nkurikiye, went on to found the Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO).
As part of the Millennium Villages Project that committed to interventions for approximately 60,000 people in 12 villages across ten countries, Cure Blindness Project first visited Nigeria in 2009 to cure cataract blindness through surgical outreaches.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
cornea transplants
As part of the Millennium Villages Project that committed to interventions for approximately 60,000 people in 12 villages across ten countries, Cure Blindness Project first visited Malawi in 2010 to cure cataract blindness through surgical outreaches.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Surgical outreaches held here have cured blindness for those without access to care. In addition, USAID grants have allowed Cure Blindness Project to support equipment for local eye care personnel in Myanmar.
sight-restoring surgeries
cornea transplants
Bangladesh
Bhutan
Burundi
China
DRC
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
India
Indonesia
Kenya
Liberia
Malawi
Mali
Myanmar
Nepal
Nigeria
Pakistan
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Philippines
Rwanda
Sierra Leone
Somaliland
South Sudan
Sri Lanka
Tanzania
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe
Cure Blindness Project, in collaboration with Orbis Bangladesh, National Eye Care (NEC), and the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MOHFW), successfully integrated cornea care into Bangladesh’s multi-year National Eye Care strategy.
For more than 20 years, Cure Blindness Project has partnered with the Royal Government of Bhutan to develop a comprehensive eye care system for the nation of more than 750,000. Cure Blindness Project has supported specialized training for all eight practicing ophthalmologists and dozens of paramedical staff.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
In 2024, Cure Blindness Project announced it was beginning work in Burundi.
This region’s proximity to Nepal made it a logical place for Cure Blindness Project to expand with direct care and training opportunities to increase local capacity. We began working here in 2004 in collaboration with the Qinghai Tibet Research Institute to complete a new eye care center in Xining, Qinghai Province.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
In 2024, Cure Blindness Project announced it was beginning work in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Eritrea has a population of more than 6 million and most evidence suggests that the prevalence of blindness in the country may be among the highest rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Cure Blindness Project began working in Eritrea in 2019.
sight-restoring surgeries
Cure Blindness Project began work with partners in Ethiopia in 2008. Today, we have 18 in-country implementing partners and country office located in Addis Ababa.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project first began work in Ghana in 2006 with the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital (KATH) in Jumaal. Today, we have 14 implementing partners and a volunteer network of collaborators.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
SightLife International began work in India in 2009. Their efforts addressed corneal blindness with a heavy focus on eye bank development. Cure Blindness Project acquired SightLife International in 2023.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Since 2011, Cure Blindness Project has supported outreaches and trainings to expand local capacity in Indonesia.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project began work in Kenya in 2006. Today, we continue to support with training and outreaches that include cornea transplants, screenings and cataract surgeries.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
In 2024, Cure Blindness Project announced it was beginning work in Liberia.
As part of the Millennium Villages Project that committed to interventions for approximately 60,000 people in 12 villages across ten countries, Cure Blindness Project first visited Malawi in 2010 to cure cataract blindness through surgical outreaches.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project helps with the historic milestone of setting up the first eye bank in West Africa’s Mali in 2023.
Surgical outreaches held here have cured blindness for those without access to care. In addition, USAID grants have allowed Cure Blindness Project to support equipment for local eye care personnel in Myanmar.
sight-restoring surgeries
cornea transplants
Cure Blindness Project first started in Nepal, believing that curing cataract blindness here would take a lifetime. From 1994-2014, the rate of blindness in Nepal decreased by 70%. Today, Nepal is home to the premiere Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (TIO), a center of excellence in eye care and a top-in-class training facility.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
As part of the Millennium Villages Project that committed to interventions for approximately 60,000 people in 12 villages across ten countries, Cure Blindness Project first visited Nigeria in 2009 to cure cataract blindness through surgical outreaches.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
cornea transplants
In 2024, Cure Blindness Project announced it was beginning work in Pakistan.
Cure Blindness Project international fellow Dr. Anya Gushchin visited Papua New Guinea with a team of three oculoplastic specialists, a neuro-ophthalmologist, a neuro-radiologist and a comprehensive ophthalmologist/cornea specialist to address the very advanced cases of ptosis. This allowed for the training of three local doctors and three local nurses.
In 2024, Cure Blindness Project announced it was beginning work in Paraguay.
In 2023, Cure Blindness Project began work in partnership with SEE International. Here, they organized and supported four surgical outreaches that helped thousands by providing free cataract surgeries.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
Cure Blindness Project's work in Rwanda began in 2007 with its support of a subspecialty cornea fellowship. The fellowship recipient, Dr. John Nkurikiye, went on to found the Rwanda International Institute of Ophthalmology (RIIO).
Sierra Leone received ophthalmic equipment and supplies from Cure Blindness Project to expand local capacity to eye care.
A partnership between Cure Blindness Project, Australian Doctors for Africa, DAK Foundation and Takullo Charity first brought our team to Somaliland in 2023.
Since 2011, Cure Blindness Project has performed 19 surgical outreaches with partners in South Sudan. Cure Blindness outreaches present opportunities to transfer skills to in-country medical staff and increase in-country capacity to treat those in need of eye care.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
In collaboration with the National Eye Bank of Sri Lanka (NEBSL) and the Ministry of Health, Cure Blindness Project enhanced access to quality corneas through a multi-year capacity-building partnership, focused on quality practices, effective counseling, professional role development, and financial sustainability.
Working with in-country partners, Cure Blindness Project visited Tanzania twice in 2023 to cure blindness from both cataracts and trachomatous trichiasis (TT).
sight-restoring surgeries
As part of the Millennium Villages Project that committed to interventions for approximately 60,000 people in 12 villages across ten countries, Cure Blindness Project first visited Uganda in 2008 to cure cataract blindness through surgical outreaches.
sight-restoring surgeries
eye screenings and basic treatment
In 2024, Cure Blindness Project announced it was beginning work in Zambia.
A partnership with Zimbabwe Medical Project and Rotary Club resulted in the restoration of sight to more than 100 people.
Cure Blindness Project
T: 888-287-8530
F: 802-649-1041
[email protected]
PO Box 863
Norwich, VT 05055
USA
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The Himalayan Cataract Project (dba Cure Blindness Project) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization; Tax ID 03-0362926. Your gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. Principal photography provided by Ace Kvale, Michael Amendolia, and other photojournalists who have generously supported our work. Site design and development by Flannel