Executive Summary

Across Sub-Saharan Africa, an estimated 20 million people are blind or visually impaired. The impact is devastating—stigmatizing these individuals and affecting quality of life and the ability to learn and earn. And, by 2050, blindness and visual impairment are projected to triple in the region.

But 75 percent of the people who are blind and visually impaired don’t have to be. Proven, cost-effective solutions exist. We must address this emerging global vision crisis—especially in Africa, where an urgent need exists to increase availability and access to key eye health services, particularly among marginalized populations.

Four leading global eye health organizations (Project Orbis International, Inc. with key partners, Sightsavers, Fred Hollows Foundation, and CBM) are working together to scale up eye health across Africa.

Our solution will build a strong eye care system that provides critical services and will improve sight for more than 650,000 people, immediately restoring their independence and improving their quality of life. Our initiative also will build national health systems capable of delivering sustainable eye health solutions to an additional 100 million people in need.

Organizations may provide budget and employee data based on this proposal or the organization as a whole. For more information on this proposal or organization, please email us.

Accomplishments

This proposal is based on a consortium approach contingent upon funding. While the consortium members have not worked together this past year in the way proposed, each member organization has continued its sight-saving work across Africa and the globe. Orbis International has grown a remote training platform, Cybersight, to continue to offer ongoing medical education to eye care professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021 Orbis has completed two rounds of mass drug distribution in Ethiopia to treat blinding trachoma, with a third round currently underway.