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In the eastern Caribbean island of St Lucia Sightsavers supports the St Lucia Blind Welfare Association (SLBWA), which was set up in 1972 with help from our partner the Caribbean Council for the Blind (CCB).

In almost all countries in the Caribbean, including St Lucia, eye care is provided mainly by the private sector, at a cost which puts it out of the reach of most of the population. Sightsavers helps the St Lucia Blind Welfare Association to ensure eye care is accessible to the poorer members of the island community.

Major achievements

Sightsavers, together with the CCB and SLBWA, has worked with the government of St Lucia to persuade them of the importance of supporting eye care in the country. As a result, there is now an active National Vision 2020 Committee and a National Eye Care plan. In addition the government are now directly supporting an ophthalmologist, more general eye care staff and the refurbishment of an eye clinic based in Victoria hospital in the capital city of Castries.

Sightsavers has also helped provide rehabilitation services and has supported skills development of eye care staff on the island to ensure high quality refractive error and low vision services are available and accessible.