Then her eyelids started turning inwards, causing more pain and irritation. She tried traditional remedies like plucking her eyelashes, but nothing helped. Her vision worsened over time.

One day, a community health worker came to Napolo’s doorstep to check on the family’s vision. Thanks to the primary eye care training we’d provided, the community health worker took one look at Napolo’s eyes and instantly knew what the problem was – a trachoma infection.

Trachoma is a bacterial eye disease that is a leading cause of blindness in areas with water shortages and crowded living conditions. The infection spreads easily through hands and clothing, and also through direct transmission by flies. If left untreated, trachoma forces the eyelid inward – like Napolo’s  – making the eyelashes rub painfully against the cornea. Over years, it can lead to permanent scarring and irreversible vision loss.  

The community health worker helped connect Napolo to our partner hospital for treatment. As Napolo was in the late stage of the disease, she required surgery. At our partner facility, the Talek Health Centre, she underwent an operation that corrected her inward-turned eyelids. The procedure brought her immense relief and preserved her remaining vision.

Stories like Napolo’s are an example of how we strive to address the root causes of avoidable blindness through a disease control approach. Our model helps us diagnose, treat and prevent the major causes of vision loss, including cataract, diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, trachoma and uncorrected refractive error. 

Tackling trachoma through the SAFE strategy

Throughout Kenya, Ethiopia and Zambia, we’ve been working with communities and partners to eliminate trachoma through a four-step approach known as SAFE.

The SAFE acronym stands for:

• Surgery to treat trichiasis (the painful late stage of the disease)
• Antibiotics to eliminate infection
• Face washing and hygiene education
• Environmental improvement including wells and latrines

In Kenya, we work with government partners to distribute antibiotics to regions where trachoma is endemic. These antibiotics help prevent infection and can help clear up existing infections.

And because trachoma spreads quickly in areas where water is scarce, part of our approach is to make sure that people in our partner communities have access to a clean water source – by repairing and drilling water boreholes.

In the past couple years, we’ve focussed on training groups of local volunteers – called “Area Pump Minders” – in hand pump maintenance. That way, when a village borehole breaks down, someone in a nearby community will be around to fix it quickly. Throughout 2024, we hired on some of the Area Pump Minders we’d already trained to repair 129 boreholes – benefiting the nearly 130,000 thousand community members who depend on them.

Managing glaucoma one day at a time

Glaucoma is a tricky condition that often goes unnoticed until the damage is already done. Caused by increased pressure within the eye, it affects the optic nerve at the back of the eye, resulting in loss of nerve function and peripheral vision. 

This often occurs painlessly, making it hard to detect. And any vision loss caused is generally considered irreversible. But if glaucoma is diagnosed early enough, it can be treated and managed with eye drops and medication, as well as regular checkups.

Ayetu, a farmer in Ghana’s Central Region, first noticed that he was having problems with his vision several years ago. After visiting the hospital, where he got a diagnosis of glaucoma, he started using eye drops. But finances were tight, and he found it difficult to pay for the medicine and attend his monthly appointments. Eventually he gave up and turned to herbal remedies, and when he did, his vision worsened. 

In 2022, we started a community health project with the Winneba Municipal Hospital. Glaucoma patients with financial difficulties, like Ayetu, were told that their medication and appointments would be given free of charge – thanks to the generosity of donors.

When Ayetu found out he could get his medication once again, he felt enormous relief. He had worried about going totally blind, leaving his 75-year-old wife to manage the household on her own. Now, he says that the pain and tearing in his eyes has ceased, and the pressure has stabilized. “I was overwhelmed with gratitude when I started receiving these medications every month,” he says.

Retinopathy of Prematurity – a condition that robs children of their eyesight

Today, little Ayan and Vyan in India have a bright future ahead of them – but as infants, these twin girls narrowly escaped a life of blindness.

Born two months early in June 2022, the girls weighed just three pounds each and suffered from lung infections. They were rushed to a nearby Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in their city of Moradabad where they were stabilized. While there, the doctor treating the girls recommended that they undergo screening for Retinopathy of Prematurity, also known as ROP.

Retinopathy of Prematurity, as the name suggests, is a condition that can occur in preterm and low-birth-weight babies. It causes abnormal growth of the blood vessels that attach to the retina, which leads to later vision loss if left untreated. It’s difficult to detect, and in the worst case scenario it can cause a child to go suddenly, irreversibly blind.

Since 2022, we’ve been working closely with our partners at the C. L. Gupta Eye Institute to screen and treat preterm infants throughout Moradabad and its surrounding districts for ROP. The Retinopathy of Prematurity Eradication Project runs a fully-equipped mobile screening van. A highly trained optometrist makes rounds of all the local NICUs, screening babies for ROP, treating simple cases and referring more complex cases back to the base hospital.

Little Ayan and Vyan underwent screening, and both were diagnosed with severe ROP. At just five weeks old, they underwent eye injections, followed by laser treatment. Now, thanks to regular checkups, their condition has been addressed, and the little girls can live up to their full potential with their vision intact.

These twin girls are just two of many infants that have benefited from increased ROP screening in their community. In 2024, we expanded the program to 28 NICUs in five districts across the region, enabling us to screen an additional 1,500 infants for ROP and provide treatment for 400 of them.

Putting futures in focus with prescription eyeglasses

At just eight years old, Fassikaw in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia decided he’d had enough of school. His eyes were always watery, he couldn’t read the blackboard, he had to hold books just inches from his face and his grades were suffering as a result. He told his parents he wanted to quit.

His parents didn’t let him leave school, and when they heard about a school eye health program that was offering free diagnosis and eyeglasses to students, they jumped at the chance. They took Fassikaw to our partner hospital where they learned that he needed strong corrective glasses. Thanks to Partners in Education Ethiopia and our generous donors, he received the eyeglasses at no cost. Now that he can see, Fassikaw is finding school much more engaging, and his grades are on the rise.

What the little boy probably doesn’t know is that vision impairment like his prevents a lot of children around the world from finishing their schooling. In fact, children with vision loss are up to five times less likely to be enrolled in formal education in low-and middle-income countries, and a pair of glasses can reduce the odds of failing a class by as much as 44 per cent.

That’s why we help run school eye health programs, reaching children right where they need vision care the most – in the classroom. By training teachers and school health coordinators in primary eye care, we’re able to screen thousands of students in just days, quickly identifying those with possible vision loss for further referral. That way we can help more students like Fassikaw stay in school and thrive in life.

Adults, of course, also suffer from refractive errors, and sometimes providing a pair of reading glasses or prescription eyeglasses can change the course for an entire family. Take Junmoni’s story as an example. The mother of two in India helped support her family’s income by doing handloom weaving from her home. But as she got into her forties, she found it harder and harder to see the intricate patterns she was weaving. In despair, she was readying herself to sell off her handloom when she was surprised one day by a knock on the door. A visiting community health worker did a quick vision screening test and told Junmoni she likely just needed a pair of glasses. With a referral in hand, Junmoni visited one of our eye screening camps where she got a diagnosis and a pair of prescription bifocals all free of charge. Now she’s weaving again and saving up so she can send her young daughter to college.

We can provide eyeglasses to people like Junmoni and Fassikaw, with all associated expenses, for about $20 dollars apiece. In 2024, we distributed more than 270,000 pairs of eyeglasses – that’s a lot of lives transformed.

Addressing the global burden of cataracts

Across the world, more than 17 million people are blind due to cataracts, and cataracts cause another 34 million people moderate to severe vision impairment. But they are easily treated. A simple day surgery, one per eye – at the cost of about $75 Canadian dollars – can restore vision.

Despite that, millions around the world aren’t getting the surgery they need. The barriers are innumerable but usually include lack of financial resources to pay for the surgery, and lack of transportation to access the healthcare system. That’s why we work in rural, remote and underserved communities, identifying eye conditions like cataracts on people’s doorsteps and connecting them to the healthcare system – then ensuring that their treatments and transportation are subsidized or provided free of charge.

For someone like 85-year-old Esther in Kenya, a visit from a community health promoter made all the difference. Living in the remote village of Sitet, Esther struggled to get together the money just to visit the nearest hospital, let alone pay for the appointment.

About 10 years ago, when Esther was chopping wood, a log bounced up and hit her in the left eye. The pain was extreme, but she decided to wait and see what happened. A week later, in unbearable pain, she travelled to the hospital for help. There she received pain medication and a referral to an eye hospital. But by then, she was out of money. She went home and the vision in her left eye never recovered.

Three years ago, she started to notice the vision in her right eye was also fading. Soon, she could no longer manage her household, and her daughter had to move in with her.

 “She had to leave her home to stay with me and help,” says Esther, about her daughter. “At some point, I just wanted to die… I didn’t want to hold her back from her life.”

One day, hope arrived in the form of a community health promoter who knocked on Esther’s door. The health promoter referred her to an eye screening camp, where she was diagnosed and referred for cataract surgery on her right eye. Unfortunately, the damage to her left eye was irreversible, making treatment of her right eye even more essential. As part of our program, Esther’s transportation, appointments and surgeries were all paid for, thanks to the generosity of our donors and partner, Johnson & Johnson.  

Today, Esther is back to living independently – visiting friends, walking to church and picking and drying her own coffee beans.

Every year, the community health workers we train bring hope to thousands of seniors like Esther who once believed blindness was inevitable. In 2024 alone, community health workers helped us restore sight by making referrals for more than 230,000 cataract surgeries – giving people back their independence and dignity.

Seeing care through to the end

Our model offers patients the full continuum of care – from screening and diagnosis, through treatment, to follow-up. After surgery, our teams make home visits to check on healing, answer questions and make sure patients attend follow-up appointments. This helps us troubleshoot issues early and keep recovery on track.

For cataract patients, follow-up is especially important. When someone has cataracts in both eyes, we often schedule surgeries several weeks apart. That gap gives time for healing and reassessment, because the outcome of the first surgery can guide the second.

Eye surgery changes lives, but recovery looks different for everyone. By staying with patients through every step, we prevent complications, improve outcomes and build trust. When communities know we’re here for the long haul it makes our work more sustainable, with healthier futures for all.

Prevention is key to transforming lives

Vision loss doesn’t have to be inevitable. From Napolo in Kenya to Ayetu in Ghana and little Ayan and Vyan in India, these stories remind us that blindness can often be prevented or treated when care is accessible. Through community outreach, early diagnosis and partnerships that remove the financial and geographic barriers, we’re restoring sight and transforming lives. But the need is still great. Millions of people remain at risk simply because they lack access to basic eye care. Together – with continued support and collaboration – we can ensure that no one is left in the dark. Donate today to help us in our mission to prevent blindness and restore sight.

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Premi is one of three children. Her parents and older brother work as day labourers on nearby farms to support the family. Despite their efforts, money is often tight, and a visit to the optometrist would be a stretch for them. Fortunately for Premi, her school was visited by one of our eye screening teams as part of our Vision-centre Based Community Eye Health Project with our partner in the area, the Alakh Mayan Mandir Eye Hospital. Premi was quickly diagnosed with refractive error and received a pair of prescription eyeglasses, free of charge.

The whole family is grateful that this bright young girl can continue her studies, with hope for a brighter future.

Our approach to eye health ensures entire communities – including schoolkids like Premi – get screened for eye conditions and can access treatment at low or no cost. By offering multiple screening opportunities at schools, vision centres, screening camps and right on people’s doorsteps, we make sure nobody falls between the cracks.

Our unique “recipe” for community eye health

Our approach starts at the planning level – working with government and community partners to select a location with a high prevalence of vision loss and low socio-economic status – and a partner hospital with a compatible mission and vision.

Next, we collaborate with partners on an action plan, define the project area and decide on locations for vision centres. Once established, the vision centres act as links between communities and hospitals, providing comprehensive eye exams, dispensing glasses and making referrals to our partner hospital for surgeries.

Then, the training of community health workers begins. These frontline workers, mostly women, learn how to conduct visual acuity tests, identify various eye conditions, make referrals and provide eye health education. For many of our beneficiaries, the relationship with our programs begins and ends with the community health worker – who might visit the same household many times, offering kindness, compassion and counselling to nervous patients, as well as their eye health expertise.

After their training, the community health workers fan out to our various communities of work, doing a baseline door-to-door survey and referring patients to the vision centres and partner hospitals for further diagnosis and treatment.

As we continue our work in the area, our teams organize various screening camps and school screenings to give everyone multiple opportunities to have their eyes checked. Community health workers also continue their door-to-door work, checking in on patients, providing eye health education and troubleshooting any problems patients might face in getting treatment. Teams crunch numbers to monitor progress and evaluate each project, later bringing in external agencies to audit the work.

When the community health volunteers have done their final survey to make sure there are no backlog cases, villages and communities are declared as Avoidable Blindness-Free through public celebrations. At this point, the vision centres have become self-sustaining, so they can continue to deliver quality eye care services beyond the project’s duration.

Providing more than just eye care

The community health workers we employ for our door-to-door surveys can offer much more than just eye health expertise. Many have received additional training in primary health care and can provide advice and referrals for things like immunizations, vitamins, and maternal and newborn health care.

Shakuntala, an Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) with the Government of India, spent eight years providing advice to expectant mothers, and offering newborn care support, before she received additional training in primary eye care. With her experience, she can continue to offer referrals and education to mothers while she does her eye health screenings.

In 2024 alone, our community health workers linked more than 50,000 children aged five and under with crucial vitamin A injections, which reduces the severity of childhood illness and increases survival rates, while also helping them develop healthy vision. Also in 2024, we referred more than 16,000 expectant mothers and 12,000 nursing mothers with health facilities for check-ups.  

Moreover, a community health workers frequent visits to a household can help them monitor a patient’s progress not only with an eye condition but with other health problems as well.

Take Bulal in Nepal, for example, a 97-year-old man who has cataracts as well as diabetes. When Meena, an Operation Eyesight-trained community health worker, met Bulal during a door-to-door survey in 2021, she realized that he would need additional support to get the treatment he needed for his low vision. While he had been previously diagnosed with cataracts, the doctor told Bulal that his unstable blood sugar levels – and his high blood pressure – made cataract surgery too risky. Bulal thought he would live out his final days in darkness.

But when Meena heard his story, she set a plan in motion. Over the next few months, with Meena’s support and guidance, Bulal stabilized his sugar levels and brought down his blood pressure so he could safely undergo surgery. His family was grateful to see Bulal restored to his former dignity and independence once he could see clearly again.

From patient to ambassador – spreading the word about eye health

Ntiiti, a mother of five from a remote village in Kenya’s Kajiado County, started losing her vision in 2020. She didn’t know why she couldn’t see clearly and wondered if she was the victim of a curse. Soon, her vision was so poor that she could no longer perform essential day-to-day tasks like making meals, taking care of her children and looking after the family’s cattle.

Help arrived unexpectedly when a community health promoter, whom we’d trained in primary eye care, visited her home while conducting door-to-door screenings. He identified cataracts and sent her to a nearby eye screening camp for a formal diagnosis. At the camp, an ophthalmologist confirmed Ntiiti had bilateral cataracts and referred her for surgery. Ntiiti had never been to a hospital or clinic before, because of the distance to these facilities from her village, but our team helped arrange transportation so that she could get the treatment she needed. Thanks to our generous donors, she received surgeries on both eyes, free of charge.

Amazed by the difference the surgeries made to her life, Ntiiti told everyone in her community who complained of vision or eye problems about her miraculous recovery. Soon, she had her first recruit – a widowed mother of six who was living in total blindness. Ntiiti connected her to the community health promoter and even accompanied her to the hospital for her surgery.

We have many similar stories of patients like Ntiiti who become ambassadors for our programs. It speaks to the strength of our approach – by taking the time to build relationships in the community, patients with success stories become empowered to spread the word about the importance of getting treated for blindness and vision loss.

To create the biggest impact, we start at the community level. By training and empowering local health workers, we can help create lasting connections that bring eye care directly to people’s doorsteps. These trusted workers are the heart of our model – identifying problems early, guiding patients through treatment and spreading awareness that can transform entire villages.

With your support, we can train more health workers, open more vision centres and ensure that no one is left behind. Donate today to help us build a future where avoidable vision loss is eliminated for good.

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Napolo wasn’t aware that she was suffering from trachoma, a bacterial infection of the eye and the leading cause of blindness in areas with shortages of water and crowded living conditions. The bacteria spreads easily through contact with eye discharge from infected people on hands and clothing, and also through direct transmission by flies. 

If left untreated, trachoma causes the eyelids to turn inward, making the eyelashes rub painfully against the surface of the eye. This causes permanent scarring of the cornea and irreversible vision loss.  

Without access to regular health care, Napolo turned to traditional remedies. Her family members would pluck out her eyelashes to help ease the pain, but the relief never lasted. The irritation always returned, and over time, Napolo’s vision became worse.  

In her Maa community, many people had similar symptoms, and plucking one’s eyelashes out was considered normal. Health workers occasionally visited their community, but Napolo often missed them because she was always out looking after her animals, sometimes even crossing over the border to let the animals graze in Tanzania. She somehow managed despite her diminishing vision and increasing pain.  

One fateful day, an Operation Eyesight-trained Community Health Promoter visited Napolo’s home – and the visit changed everything. 

You see, for many years Operation Eyesight has been working to eliminate trachoma in communities like Napolo’s. Through the Kenya Trachoma Elimination Program, funded by Sightsavers International, Operation Eyesight and partners are working to eliminate trachoma in Narok West Sub-county and the entire country by 2028. With this support, and in collaboration with the Narok County Department of Health, we launched a door-to-door screening initiative to identify remaining cases of trachoma trichiasis – the painful late stage of the disease. We provided training and resources for local Community Health Promoters. They screen people in their communities and refer those in need of eye care to our nearest partner facility. 

During a community screening in November 2024, Napolo was identified and referred to Talek Health Centre, an outreach site that provides surgical treatment for trachoma patients. At the health centre, the ophthalmic team examined Napolo’s eyes and confirmed her diagnosis. 

Napolo agreed to undergo eyelid surgery to correct her inward-turned eyelids. The procedure was successful, and her recovery brought immense relief, preventing further damage to her eyes and preserving her remaining vision. 

“I have longed for this comfort for decades. There is no more discomfort, and I can open my eyes freely,” Napolo said. “I thank Operation Eyesight and the doctors who assisted me, and I will definitely refer anyone in my community that has the same problem so that they can be assisted.”  

Napolo’s story shows how access to quality eye care can transform lives. 

Did you know? Trachoma is the leading cause of infectious blindness.   

Currently, 103 million people live in trachoma endemic areas and are at risk of trachoma blindness, and presently 1.9 million people are experiencing vision impairment or blindness due to the disease.¹ It is found in 32 countries, in areas with shortages of clean water and crowded living conditions. Caused by the bacteria Chlamydia trachomatis, trachoma is spread by eye-seeking flies and personal contact. Children and women are at particular risk. 

Operation Eyesight follows the World Health Organization-endorsed SAFE strategy, which has proven effective in eliminating trachoma. The SAFE strategy is a comprehensive treatment and prevention program that includes Surgery to treat the late stage of the disease, Antibiotics to eliminate infection, Face washing and hygiene education, and Environmental change including wells and latrines.  

Join us in supporting programs that bring vital vision care to people like Napolo and also address the root causes of vision loss. Together, we can eliminate trachoma and ensure everyone has access to the eye care they deserve. Give the Gift of Sight today. Join us in supporting programs that bring vital vision care to people like Napolo and also address the root causes of vision loss. Together, we can eliminate trachoma and ensure everyone has access to the eye care they deserve. Give the Gift of Sight today.   

1. http://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/trachoma 
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At Operation Eyesight, we believe this needs to change. That’s why we’re working to strengthen areas of overlap between primary eye care and primary health care in our countries of operation. That means supporting the World Health Assembly’s integrated people-centred eye care (IPEC) resolution by working to integrate eye health into national health systems – and increasing access to free or subsidized eye health care.

It also means addressing the root causes of avoidable vision loss. In some regions in Africa, we bring fresh water and hygiene education to communities to help prevent infectious eye conditions. We also work to make sure our services offer more than just eye care, but can also link patients to other types of health care.

Why eye health can’t be treated in isolation

Health conditions rarely exist in silos – and vision loss is no exception. Diabetes, for example, increases the risk of eye conditions like cataracts. For 15-year-old Vanessa in Zambia, blurry vision was one of the first signs of the disease. When she started having problems reading the blackboard at school, a teacher sent her to our vision centre in her community of Matero for a checkup. From there, she received a referral to our partner hospital, where she learned that she not only had cataracts, but diabetes as well. Doctors helped her get her blood sugar levels under control, and then she got cataract surgery. Today, she is managing her diabetes and thriving in school, with dreams of becoming a doctor.

Vision problems can also cause a downward mental health spiral. Benson, a farmer in Kenya, lost his ability to work due to poor vision. As a result, he became angry and depressed, then turned to alcohol and drugs to cope with his situation. Luckily, his family got him into a drug and alcohol rehabilitation facility, where a visiting doctor diagnosed him with cataracts. Benson underwent surgery on both eyes, provided free of charge thanks to the support of our donors, and can see clearly now. Buoyed by his miraculous recovery, Benson finished up his time at the rehabilitation facility and happily threw himself back into farming.

Integrating eye care into Canada’s health system

In Canada, where Operation Eyesight is based, navigating eye care can be confusing. While the Canada Health Act covers medically-necessary eye health services, routine vision care like eye exams and prescription glasses often isn’t part of the deal. That leaves provinces and territories to fill in the gaps, and the result is a patchwork system. For example, seniors in Ontario get routine eye exams covered once they hit 65, but in Newfoundland and Labrador, those same seniors might have to pay out-of-pocket. It’s inconsistent, and it’s especially tough on vulnerable populations.

There is some support through the Federal Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB) program, which covers eye exams and eyewear for eligible First Nations and Inuit individuals. But even that has its hurdles: remote communities, limited healthcare infrastructure and cultural differences that make accessing care more complicated than it should be.

The passage of the National Strategy for Eye Care Act in 2024 was a major step forward in addressing these issues. As chair of the Canadian Eye Health Coalition, Operation Eyesight is helping shape a national framework that prioritizes equitable access to vision care. Our Global Director of International Programs, Kris Kelm, explains why it’s important that we have a seat at the table during the consultation period and beyond.

“We know that there will be many voices in this conversation with diverse interests, and we want to ensure there is representation from patients who have the least means and the least ability to access vision care,” he says. “The fact that we have over 60 years of experience working in this sector gives us a strong background to speak credibly to how we need to approach things in Canada, and our community partners can provide valuable insights to help shape eye care for all.”

He adds that Canada can learn from some of our countries of work, where eye health has been better integrated into the overall health systems and other public frameworks. As an example, he points to Ghana, where we work with the ministries of health and education to screen and treat students for eye conditions in the public school system. We have similar programs in Kenya and Zambia, too.

Another example is in India, where we are working with state governments to establish vision services in pre-existing government health centres. Building the capacity of vision care facilities within the country’s national health care system ensures that services reach the most underserved populations, as patients who are able to pay most typically seek care at for-profit facilities, rather than attending government services.

Community health workers: Integrating eye care at the community level

Shakuntala, in Madhya Pradesh, India, spends her days walking door to door through villages in her region, checking in on the health and well-being of families. She’s one of the million-strong network of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHAs), employed by the Indian government, who deliver primary health care at the community level.

Her work includes providing pregnancy advice, supporting newborn care, educating parents about vaccinations and vitamins for children, and making all kinds of referrals to local clinics and hospitals. In 2022, Shakuntala added another set of skills to her toolkit: conducting primary eye health screenings, thanks to training provided by our Operation Eyesight team, in partnership with the Government of Madhya Pradesh. Shakuntala learned to measure visual acuity using an eye chart. She also learned to identify the signs and symptoms of various eye conditions. Once she identifies a patient with a possible eye condition, she refers them to the base hospital for diagnosis and treatment. In the meantime, she continues to provide advice and referrals on nutrition, vaccinations, prenatal care and other health concerns.

Shakuntala is just one of the thousands of community health workers we work with across the globe. In all our countries of work, we partner with existing health systems to recruit community health workers, mostly women, to help us deliver our programs. The health workers develop strong ties within the communities, resulting in high acceptance and trust in our programming.

Mabel, a community health nurse in Ghana, was trained in primary eye care so that she could identify eye health issues in addition to her regular duties. She says that being able to screen people at their home allows her to reach many women and girls who probably wouldn’t have left the village to seek eye health care, due to household responsibilities.

Water and WASH for sight

Anyone who has had a case of pink eye knows that having red, inflamed and itchy eyes isn’t much fun. But in some parts of the world, an eye infection can be a much more serious problem. Trachoma is an infectious eye disease that leads to vision loss and blindness in millions of people across the globe. It spreads easily through contact with eye discharge from infected people on hands and clothing, and through flies. If left untreated, chronic infections turn the eyelid inwards, causing intense pain and scarring of the cornea, which can lead to irreversible blindness.

Trachoma is preventable, and clean water is key to curbing the spread. When communities have access to clean water, people can clean their hands, faces and clothing more often, which prevents it from spreading.

In countries like Zambia, we work with Water Affairs (the government department responsible for water) to drill, rehabilitate and repair boreholes near where people live, work and go to school, so that whole villages have access to clean water. We also provide training to local volunteers in these communities in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) and borehole repair and maintenance to ensure the clean water continues to flow. In areas where trachoma is endemic, we also work with partners to distribute antibiotics, which both treats and prevents trachoma.

It’s another way that we work to address one of the root causes of avoidable vision loss, but it also helps us tie into improved health outcomes overall. Accessible clean water helps prevent dozens of infectious diseases. It also improves quality of life for women and girls, who are often tasked with the job of fetching water, which can take up hours out of the day and prevent them from participating in school, work or other activities. Moreover, clean water means people can grow vegetable gardens, raise livestock and keep entire families, and communities, happier and healthier.

Tying it all together

When we invest in sight, we invest in education, productivity and dignity. To eliminate avoidable vision loss, vision care needs to be recognized as a public health priority and integrated into national health strategies. Operation Eyesight’s global experience – from rehabilitating boreholes in Zambia to collaborating with partners on new policies in Canada – demonstrates that integrating eye health into primary care, addressing environmental determinants like access to clean water, and empowering community health workers leads to sustainable, measurable outcomes. Policymakers have a critical role to play in building resilient health systems that ensure equitable access to vision care for all.

Read more about our approach to Hospital-Based Community Eye Health.

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