Pakistan

Pakistan is the sixth most populated country in the world, yet almost 30 per cent of the population live in poverty.

Eye care facilities are often scarce, inaccessible and mainly based in urban areas, and many people are not aware of the importance of looking after their vision. As a result, eye conditions such as cataracts are common, but can be easily treated if people have access to eye care.

Sightsavers aims to strengthen the country’s health system to ensure everyone can be treated for eye issues. We train health workers and raise awareness of eye health within communities, focusing particularly on marginalised groups including, women, children and people with disabilities.

We’ve trained 930 Lady Health Workers to provide health care in the community: they visit families regularly to ensure that all children, even those who don’t attend school, have their eyes examined for conditions including refractive error and cataracts. We have trained 2,300 teachers to screen children in schools, following World Health Organization guidelines. We’ve also trained 70 technicians and medical staff, and upgraded the equipment at the LRBT hospital in Quetta.

Watch a video of our Pakistan Country Director explaining how Sightsavers is helping to achieve the United Nations’ Global Goals in Pakistan.