Operation Eyesight is an international development organization and registered charity, founded in Calgary in 1963, that works to prevent blindness and restore sight in 11 countries across Africa, North America and South Asia. Work is supported by generous donors and a growing global community.

Globally, 1.1 billion people live with vision loss, which is projected to reach nearly 1.8 billion by 2050, costing the global economy an estimated $411 billion USD annually. Fortunately, 90 per cent of all vision loss is preventable or treatable. That’s where Operation Eyesight comes in.

With a global focus and a local approach, Operation Eyesight’s work is fueled by the belief that everyone should have access to quality, affordable eye health care, regardless of ability to pay, gender, age or location. People in low- and middle-income countries as well as in rural and remote communities everywhere are often underserved. Addressing avoidable vision loss for all helps people better secure quality education, employment, independence and opportunities. This helps people transform their lives – see Benjamin’s story to learn how. 

Operation Eyesight’s impact comes from facilitating locally driven solutions. In-country teams are on the ground, building partnerships with communities, ministries of heath and education, and like-minded organizations. This builds local eye health systems that communities run now and for generations to come – For All The World To See. 

Impact in 2024

Vision is about far more than sight – it is about reducing poverty, improving good health and well-being, supporting access to quality education, contributing to gender equality, ensuring clean water and sanitation, addressing climate action and building partnerships for the goals. These are all United Nations Sustainable Development Goals that will help to build a more peaceful and prosperous world for all. Through the support of its generous donors, Operation Eyesight has been contributing to building a more equitable world for more than six decades.

In 2024 alone, through local partnerships, Operation Eyesight screened 2.36 million people, performed more than 280,000 eye surgeries and distributed more than 270,000 pairs of prescription eyeglasses, while also declaring 233 villages Avoidable Blindness-Free. Read Operation Eyesight’s Annual Report to learn more. View 2024 highlights below.

About Operation Eyesight

Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization working to eliminate avoidable vision loss and bring quality eye health care to communities where it’s needed most.

Founded in Calgary, Canada in 1963, over the past six decades Operation Eyesight has grown to become a global community that spans four continents and includes health workers and volunteers, physicians and ophthalmic personnel, donors, partners, staff and board members.

Whether it’s a simple pair of eyeglasses or a more complex eye surgery, Operation Eyesight believes that everyone should have access to affordable, quality eye health care services. Operation Eyesight’s mission is to prevent blindness and restore sight – For All The World To See. 

Operation Eyesight exists due to the generosity of donors who have supported this work for more than 60 years.

Donate today to make a lasting impact.

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By signing this important piece of legislation, the Canadian government has established itself as a global leader by prioritizing eye health care as an integral part of universal health care, while also achieving many of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In Canada, health care is a right. This Bill now makes eye health care a right as well. The passage of Bill C-284 gives hope to the one in five Canadians suffering from a condition that puts them at risk of blindness (eight million people) and the 1.2 million Canadians living with vision loss, figures which come from the 2023 Report Card on Vision Health in Canada, released by Fighting Blindness Canada and the Canadian Council of the Blind. The report states that every year, our national economic burden from vision loss is 32.9 billion dollars. The passage of Bill C-284 is about far more than sight – it is about education for children, employment for adults and independence for seniors.

Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, President and CEO of Operation Eyesight Universal, says, “Today, Canadians have achieved the right to sight, as our universal health care will incorporate eye health care for all, with the passing of Bill C-284, the National Strategy for Eye Care Act, into law. Eye health care too is a priority now in Canada.  This impacts us all. The law will support the many Canadians who have eye conditions they do not know they have. It will also shine a light into the lives of the millions of Canadians who struggle not only with their vision but also with accessing the eye health care they need—across every part of Canada. This inclusive bill signifies that eye health care must be available, accessible and affordable, and it will support child development and learning, adult employment and productivity and senior connection and independence. We are delighted that Canada has the vision to step forward as a national and international leader. We can all see the benefits ahead.”

The importance of this legislation cannot be overstated. Universal eye health care is proactive, preventative and supportive. It includes regular eye exams, early detection of eye conditions, treatment and ongoing supports. For some, treatment can be as simple as getting a pair of prescription eyeglasses which can be transformative – recent research found that students who don’t get the eyeglasses they need learn half as much as students with good or corrected vision, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. This research also stated that when vision is corrected in school it can influence lifelong earnings by up to 78 per cent. This example shows that eye health care impacts not only individuals but also local and global economies. Eye health contributes to several of the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which have been set to build a more peaceful and prosperous world. These include good health and well-being, quality education and poverty reduction. 

For decades, Operation Eyesight has brought inclusive eye health care to communities and regions in countries in Africa and South Asia. We do this by partnering with national, regional, and local governments and leaders, including the ministries of health and education. We act as a bridge between communities, connecting every child, woman and man to local eye health care.

In Alberta, we have been piloting eye health care programs by working with medically underserved communities. We are building relationships with and listening to communities to understand their unique needs, cultures, lived experiences and lifestyles (rural, urban and more), while growing our capacity to support this work in a good way. We know that inclusive eye health care works when people are aware of its importance, it is available and accessible when and where people need it – close to home, school or work – and it is open to all regardless of ability to pay.

We welcome the opportunity to collaborate with governments, organizations and community leaders in Canada to inform this new national eye care strategy. We look forward to contributing our voice to advocate for it to be inclusive so that it is accessible, affordable and available to all. We will continue to raise awareness of the importance of eye health and the need for eye health care in Canada. Together, let us take a long view of our collective right to sight. 

Kris Kelm, Global Director, International Programs, Operation Eyesight Universal 

Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, President & CEO, Operation Eyesight Universal

About Operation Eyesight Universal  operationeyesight.com

Operation Eyesight Universal is an international development organization and registered charity working to prevent blindness and restore sight. Our vision is the elimination of avoidable vision loss. Founded in Calgary, Alberta, Canada in 1963, we are now a global community spanning four continents – Africa, Europe, North America and South Asia. Our vision is global and our focus is local, with teams on the ground in communities of work. Through activities like community outreach, water and sanitation projects, and health education, we at Operation Eyesight are addressing the root causes of avoidable vision loss which contribute to six United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: no poverty, good health and well-being, quality education, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, and partnerships for the goals.

The post Operation Eyesight applauds Bill C-284, the National Strategy for Eye Care Act becoming law  appeared first on Operation Eyesight.

We’re thrilled to have been named one of the Top 10 Impact Charities of 2018 by Charity Intelligence Canada. Just as for-profit organizations have an obligation to their shareholders, we have an obligation to our donors. We invest donor funds carefully and efficiently to create the long-term changes that will help eliminate avoidable blindness.

This recognition is a significant milestone on our shared path to help more people who are needlessly suffering, and to make a generational impact that will ensure the communities we work in will have access to the eye care they need today, tomorrow and in the future.

Charity Intelligence’s impact rating is determined by analyzing the measurable return for every dollar donated. They hold charities accountable for the support they receive from Canadian donors, and they observe that people will generally give more to charities when they are confident their donation will make an impact. Operation Eyesight made the list by eliminating avoidable blindness at the community level, through our Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Program model.

When assessing our impact, we look at how well we are meeting our strategic goals. We look at the number of patients treated, how much local capacity is being built and how well our hospital partners are progressing towards operational sustainability.

We create eye health-seeking behaviour in the communities we work in through outreach and education programs, and we empower communities to take responsibility for their eye health needs. This plays a vital role in helping to ensure our projects are sustainable and that people will continue to seek help even after our formal partnership with the hospital has ended.

The ripple effect is incredible! Kids can see to read and go to school, giving them the opportunity to get an education and later find a job and provide for themselves. Parents can return to work and provide for their families. Grandparents can watch their grandkids grow up, and their grandkids don’t need to stay home to care for them. This way, children can get an education and thrive in the future. Entire communities are transformed with the gift of sight!

We can’t thank our donors enough for supporting our sight-saving program model. Thanks to people like you, we’ve declared over 1,000 villages avoidable blindness-free in India and Nepal. And we’re not done yet! We’ve had great success in the communities we work in, but there are still millions of people who need our help. With your help, we can reach them – For All The World To See!

 Click here to donate and make an IMPACT.

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Together, we CAN eliminate avoidable blindness!

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