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.

The post Why we’re working to integrate eye care into primary health care appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

When Fassikaw was in first grade, he began to have trouble seeing objects far away. Reading books and the blackboard became difficult. Sitting in the middle or back of the classroom, he often had to borrow his classmates’ exercise books to copy notes. 

At home, reading took him a long time. His eyes often watered, and his grades began to drop. More than his grades, his parents worried about his worsening vision and the way it was affecting his mood and sleep. Fassikaw even spoke about leaving school. 

Around this time, his family learned about our School Eye Health Program run in partnership with Partners in Education Ethiopia. The program offers free diagnosis and eyeglasses to students in need. 

After hearing this, his family went to the hospital and Fassikaw’s eyes were checked. At the hospital, tests revealed that Fassikaw’s vision required strong corrective lenses: +15.00 for his left eye and +16.00 for his right. Thanks to our partners and generous donors, he received the eyeglasses at no cost. 

Today, Fassikaw can read easily from anywhere in the classroom. At home, he reads without headaches or watery eyes. His grades have improved, and his class ranking has risen from 27^th to 21^st, with steady progress. 

His father says their son is now happy and confident, and the family can sleep without worry. “With God’s help, we hope you will never have to worry about anything,” he says with gratitude. 

Did you know?
Bringing eye health care to students is an investment in their education and their future. Globally, 450 million children have an eye condition that requires treatment; of these, 448 million have refractive errors that only require eye exams and eyeglasses (Source: IAPB Vision Atlas – Child Eye Health). The cost of eyeglasses in our countries of work is approximately C$20. 

By providing eyeglasses through school-based eye health programs, we can transform the lives of children like Fassikaw, helping them see clearly, succeed in school and embrace a brighter future. Give the Gift of Sight today.  

Our Work in Ethiopia 
Since beginning our work in Ethiopia in 2018, we’ve made significant strides toward preventing avoidable vision loss. In 2024, our programs reached more than 33,424 people through eye health screenings, treatment, training and community outreach. From surveying over 14,000 residents in Debre Work to training frontline workers and teachers, screening students and providing eyeglasses, we are building lasting capacity for quality eye care. Read more about our work in Ethiopia in our 2024 Annual Report. Download it here. 

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That’s an experience 11-year-old Hayat, in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, has gone through. Today Hayat, held back by difficulties with her eyesight, is continuing to work on her first-grade accreditation, alongside seven- and eight-year-olds.

Born with a twin brother, Hayat had vision problems from the very start. Immediately after birth, she underwent eye surgery. The hospital scheduled her for a follow-up appointment, but due to financial constraints and lack of transportation, the family was unable to return for it.

Her father explained that, as Hayat grew older, she continued to have trouble seeing.

“We knew she had difficulty seeing distant objects, but we couldn’t take her to a health facility because we didn’t have the money for treatment,” her father shared. “It pained us deeply to see her struggle. We began to lose hope in her education because her performance was poor.”

But Hayat persisted with her schoolwork, and she was in class when Operation Eyesight, in collaboration with Partners in Education Ethiopia, started a screening program at her school.

Hayat was quickly identified as having vision problems. Along with other students, she received a referral to our partner institution, the Tibebe Ghion Hospital, for a full eye exam. An optometrist diagnosed her with refractive error.

Just two days after her hospital visit, the project team returned to Hayat’s school with a life-changing package in tow – the students’ eyeglasses.

Hayat went home sporting her new eyeglasses, beaming as she announced that she could finally see clearly. Her family was thrilled, knowing that she now had what she needed to thrive in school.

“Thank Allah!” her father announced, then followed up with instructions for Hayat. “Now you can study well and improve your grades.”

The little girl was more than happy to agree.

Find out how support from our donors is helping us bring eye health care to thousands of children like Hayat through our School Eye Health programs!

Story written with files from Marnat Adugna, Senior Project Officer, Operation Eyesight / Partners in Education Ethiopia

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When Anastasia first began experiencing vision problems, she went to a nearby hospital, where she was diagnosed with pterygium — a growth on the eye’s conjunctiva. But, the pterygium was still immature, and she was advised to wait. By the time it had matured enough to be removed, her husband had grown older, fallen ill and was no longer able to work, leaving them without the means to pay for the surgery. “As a sole breadwinner and a mother of two teenagers who is also taking care of my husband, my meagre income could hardly take care of our daily needs, so undergoing a surgery was an impossible dream,” Anastasia shared. 

Hope returned when Anastasia heard about an eye screening camp organized by Operation Eyesight. She attended, expecting little more than medication, but instead, she was diagnosed with a mature pterygium that could be removed through surgery at Operation Eyesight’s partner hospital Watborg Eye Services — free of charge, thanks to the generosity of donors. Anastasia underwent successful surgery, and she was also diagnosed with a refractive error and received prescription glasses at no cost. 

With her vision fully restored and her business back on track, Anastasia could finally see a brighter future for her family.  

“Though I feel that a mere thank you is not enough to express my appreciation, there is no other way to express to my joy except with a thank you. I am immensely grateful to Operation Eyesight for coming through for me.” – Anastasia  

Your support can help restore vision and hope for someone like Anastasia. By giving the Gift of Sight, you not only honour your loved ones, but also extend the spirit of compassion and generosity to someone across the world. 

Written with files from Dora Ewusi.

The post With sight restored, Anastasia reclaims her independence appeared first on Operation Eyesight.