Operation Eyesight Universal is a

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

-based

international development International development or global development is a broad concept denoting the idea that societies and countries have differing levels of economic or human development on an international scale. It is the basis for international classifications ...

organization working to prevent

blindness Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment� ...

and restore sight. Founded in 1963 in

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

, Canada, Operation Eyesight been recognized as a key player working towards the elimination of avoidable blindness. With support from donors, Operation Eyesight collaborates with hospital and government partners in low- and middle-income countries to invest in sustainable eye health treatment, blindness prevention and

community development The United Nations defines community development as "a process where community members come together to take collective action and generate solutions to common problems." It is a broad concept, applied to the practices of civic leaders, activists ...

to create a better life for people now and into the future. Operation Eyesight currently has programs in

Bangladesh Bangladesh (}, ), officially the People's Republic of Bangladesh, is a country in South Asia. It is the eighth-most populous country in the world, with a population exceeding 165 million people in an area of . Bangladesh is among the mos ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

Ethiopia Ethiopia, , om, Itiyoophiyaa, so, Itoobiya, ti, ኢትዮጵያ, Ítiyop'iya, aa, Itiyoppiya officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a landlocked country in the Horn of Africa. It shares borders with Eritrea to the ...

Ghana Ghana (; tw, Gaana, ee, Gana), officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country in West Africa. It abuts the Gulf of Guinea and the Atlantic Ocean to the south, sharing borders with Ivory Coast in the west, Burkina Faso in the north, and To ...

Kenya ) , national_anthem = "Ee Mungu Nguvu Yetu"() , image_map = , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Nairobi , coordinates = , largest_city = Nairobi , ...

Liberia Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...

and

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, and is looking to expand to other countries in the future. For over a decade, Operation Eyesight has developed and implemented its Hospital-Based Community Eye Health Program model to create access to eye health services at the community level and reach people in remote communities. By recruiting local

community health workers A community health officer is a member of a community who is chosen by community members or organizations to provide basic health and medical care within their community, and is capable of providing preventive, promotional and rehabilitation care t ...

and educating communities about eye health and general health, Operation Eyesight encourages health-seeking behaviour among community members. This leads to the elimination of avoidable blindness in entire communities. Operation Eyesight’s work contributes to the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal #3: Good Health and Well-Being, as well as the goals related to poverty, gender equality, water and sanitation, and partnerships.  Operation Eyesight Canada is governed by a volunteer Board of Directors that abides by all laws concerning charitable organizations established by the

Government of Canada The government of Canada (french: gouvernement du Canada) is the body responsible for the federal administration of Canada. A constitutional monarchy, the Crown is the corporation sole, assuming distinct roles: the executive, as the ''Crown ...

. In 2017, 2018 and 2019, Operation Eyesight was named a Top 10 Impact Charity by

Charity Intelligence Canada Charity Intelligence Canada (Ci) is a registered charity that does charity assessments of over 750 Canadian charitable organizations, to allow donors be informed when they donate to charities, and to promote transparency, accountability, and re ...

Mission

Operation Eyesight’s mission is to prevent blindness and restore sight. At least 1.1 billion people live with vision loss and 90 percent of vision loss is preventable or treatable
The World Report on Vision
recognizes the important contribution of eye health to the Sustainable Development Goals, highlighting the close links between eye health and sustainable development.

History

Operation Eyesight was founded in 1963 when a businessman from Calgary, Canada named Arthur (Art) Jenkyns met Dr. Ben Gullison, a physician who worked at a mission hospital in

Sompeta Sompeta is a census town in Srikakulam district of the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It is the mandal headquarters of Sompeta mandal in Tekkali revenue division. Geography Sompeta is located at . It has an average elevation of 8 metre ...

, India. After their meeting, Art was inspired to found Operation Eyesight Universal to raise funds for people needing eye care in India. In the early 1960s Operation Eyesight began by funding screening camps (mobile diagnostic clinics), cataract surgeries and training aimed at reducing the backlog of cataract surgeries in India. In 1981, Operation Eyesight began to fund prevention programs, such as

immunization Immunization, or immunisation, is the process by which an individual's immune system becomes fortified against an infectious agent (known as the immunogen). When this system is exposed to molecules that are foreign to the body, called ''non-sel ...

, improved

nutrition Nutrition is the biochemical and physiological process by which an organism uses food to support its life. It provides organisms with nutrients, which can be metabolized to create energy and chemical structures. Failure to obtain sufficient n ...

, health clinics, skills training and employment that would address the root causes of blindness. These programs improved general health, thereby reducing the incidence of blindness in underserved, marginalized communities. The emphasis on cataracts had ignored other eye diseases, such as

glaucoma Glaucoma is a group of eye diseases that result in damage to the optic nerve (or retina) and cause vision loss. The most common type is open-angle (wide angle, chronic simple) glaucoma, in which the drainage angle for fluid within the eye rem ...

, corneal trauma, trachoma and others, which were going undiagnosed and untreated. By the late 1990s, a model of quality, comprehensive, sustainable eye care was developed in India under the

LV Prasad Eye Institute The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is an eye-care network, established by Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, an ophthalmologist, at Hyderabad, in 1987. It is a non-profit, multi-campus, non-governmental institution. With more than 200 eye-care ce ...

(LVPEI) in

Hyderabad Hyderabad ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Telangana and the ''de jure'' capital of Andhra Pradesh. It occupies on the Deccan Plateau along the banks of the Musi River (India), Musi River, in the northern part ...

, India. LVPEI demonstrated that a reputation for quality outcomes attracted paying and non-paying patients. Fees from those who could afford the surgery covered the cost of those who could not. This model, which proved to be successful, also featured rigorous cost control and revenue generation from fees to cover annual operating (non-capital) costs. Equipped with this knowledge, Operation Eyesight transitioned from a charity or aid model to a development model. As such, Operation Eyesight works collaboratively with each of its medical partners to set objectives and develop a practical plan to achieve quality, comprehensive, sustainable eye care services.

Activities

Operation Eyesight’s core services are: 1. Community Empowerment · · Eye health education and training · Public awareness · Community rehabilitation 2. Quality Eye Care · Infrastructure · Diagnostics · Treatment 3. Health System Strengthening · Integrated eye health care · Provision of quality eye health services in a safe care environment

Partner Organizations

* The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness *

L. V. Prasad Eye Institute The L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) is an eye-care network, established by Dr. Gullapalli Nageswara Rao, an ophthalmologist, at Hyderabad, in 1987. It is a non-profit, multi-campus, non-governmental institution. With more than 200 eye-care c ...

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.operationeyesight.com/ Blindness organizations in Canada International_development_agencies