Sir John Wilson: A founder’s vision

An organisation “strong enough to command attention, big enough to span continents, yet simple enough to do something meaningful against the realities of an African village.”

Sightsavers’ vision

“A world in which no-one is needlessly blind and where everyone who is irreversibly blind or severely visually impaired enjoys the same

rights, responsibilities and opportunities as people who are sighted”.

Blindness: The Facts…

• Every 5 seconds, someone goes blind

• A child goes blind every minute

• 37 million blind people in the world

• Annual cost est. $25 billion (WHO)

• Social/humanitarian cost incalculable

The figures…

• 90% of the world’s blind and visually impaired live in developing world

• 50% of the world’s blind children need not be blind

• 50% of children who go blind die within two years

Causes of Blindness• Cataract – 47.8%• Glaucoma – 12.3%• Macular Degeneration – 8.7%• Corneal opacity – 5.1%• Diabetic Retinopathy – 4.8%• Childhood Blindness – 3.9%• Trachoma – 3.6%• Onchocerciasis – 0.8%• Other – 13%

BUT75% of blindness is

avoidable or preventable

ANDit’s cheap and simple to address

Vision 2020

Sightsavers is a founding member of VISION 2020, a unique global collaboration of leading eye care agencies that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020

VISION 2020Since its establishment in 1990, significant achievements have been made in the prevention and management of blindness, including:

• Increased public awareness and utilisation of eye care services• Increased availability and affordability of eye care services• More effective primary eye care activities as an integral part of

primary health care means improved case finding and referral• Increased global political commitment to blindness prevention• Increased commitment and support of NGOs

SightsaversPresence in 33 countriesRestored sight to over 5.5 millionTreated over 100 million for conditions that threaten sight

In 2006 we:Screened over 4.6 million peopleTreated over 3 millionSupported 277,393 eye operations

Sightsavers’ Programmes

CataractSightsavers:•Supports training for cataract surgeons & ophthalmologists

•Provides the equipment & consumables necessary to perform surgery

•Builds/refurbishes eye clinics with to provide surgical facilities

•Raises awareness in the community about cataract & how to treat it

River Blindness

River Blindness

Trachoma

Trachoma

Childhood Blindness

Childhood Blindness

Low Vision

Inclusive Education

Community Based Rehabilitation

TrainingSightsavers supports training for eye care personnel at all levels:

•Community based workers

•Ophthalmic paramedics

•Technicians

•Ophthalmologists

Comprehensive Eye Services

Comprehensive Eye Services

• Preventative, community based services• Sight restoring surgery• Services for irreversibly blind children and

adults• Training for all levels of eye care personnel• Good referral links between services• Typically serve a population of 1 million

Working with PartnersSightsavers works with partners in all

countries, including:• Governments (Ministries of Health and

Education)• Locally based NGOs• Rotary & Lions groups• Organisations of and for the blind

Working with partnersSightsavers supports partners through:• Training in management, finance,

technology, fundraising & advocacy• Building their capacity to offer services

through infrastructural development