Pakistan
Sightsavers started working in Pakistan in 1985 and our work focuses on treating eye conditions such as cataracts which affect millions of people in the country.
Pakistan is the sixth highest populated country in the world, yet almost 30 per cent of the population live in poverty.
Sightsavers is working to reduce avoidable blindness caused by diabetic retinopathy by performing regular screenings for early detection. We are also working to strengthen the country’s health system by training health workers and raising awareness of children’s eye health within communities.
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, are seen. We also trained 2,300 teachers to screen children in schools, following World Health Organization guidelines.
Some 25,000 children have been screened by Lady Health Workers, and 125,000 school children have had their eyes examined for conditions including refractive error and cataracts. We’ve also trained 70 technicians and medical staff, upgraded diagnostic and theatre 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.
At a glance
Total populationWhat we focus on
Key programmes
How we’re making a difference in Pakistan
Reaching everyone
Sightsavers' Guillaume Trotignon visited Pakistan to evaluate the provision of eye care services in urban slums in Lahore.
Cataract surgery
Zamurrad’s life ground to a halt when she developed cataracts, but a straightforward operation restored her sight.
Disability rights
In Pakistan, our Right to Health programme is making sure people with disabilities aren’t excluded from eye health care.
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October updates: highlights from around the world
In October, celebrations took place in many of Sightsavers' programme countries to mark World Sight Day. Plus news from Kenya, Mozambique and more.
Naheed’s story
Naheed is one of the final patients to have surgery as a result of Sightsavers’ Million Miracles campaign, which has raised enough to fund a million cataract operation in the countries where we work.
Eye care for those who need it most
In Pakistan, Ulrica Hansson learns how Sightsavers’ Right to Health programme is transforming local health care so people with disabilities are no longer excluded.
July highlights: updates from around the world
An update from Benin, where eye care staff have been travelling 3km on foot to treat ‘the disease at the end of the road’. Plus news from Nigeria, Pakistan and more.
Charter for disability inclusion is agreed at Pakistan summit
The charter aims to make sure people with disabilities are included in the country’s social and economic development.
Sightsavers co-hosts consultation on disability inclusion in Pakistan
The workshop aimed to make sure people with disabilities are included in global development plans, ahead of the first Global Disability Summit in July.
Ensuring women in north-west Pakistan receive the eye care they need
An eye health project in north-west Pakistan has increased the number of women accessing cataract surgery in the region.
Going where the need is greatest: eye care in Lahore, Pakistan
It’s vitally important to investigate and address eye health disparities in urban areas, says Sightsavers' Guillaume Trotignon.
Kausar’s story
Kausar had been losing her sight for several years, and worried how her family would cope. But a Sightsavers-funded cataract operation changed her life.
Zamurrad’s story
Zamurrad’s life ground to a halt when she developed cataracts, but a straightforward operation gave her back her independence.
Murtaza’s story
When 30-year-old Murtaza started losing his sight to cataracts, he feared he’d be reliant on his family. But straightforward surgery restored his vision.
Sightsavers hosts photo exhibition on London’s South Bank
Photographs of Sightsavers’ work in Pakistan, taken by Andrew McConnell, are on show at the More London Riverside development near Tower Bridge.
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