Our work in Pakistan
Sightsavers began working in Pakistan in 1985, and opened a country office in 1998. Our focus is treating eye conditions and making sure people with disabilities are included in education and work.
Pakistan is the fifth most populated country in the world, yet almost 30 per cent of the population live in poverty.
Recent studies in Pakistan have found that there is an inextricable link between blindness and poverty: the prevalence of total blindness in poor areas was more than three times of that in affluent areas. Studies have also found that four million children in the country have a vision impairment.
Sightsavers aims to ensure everyone can be treated for eye issues. We’ve trained more than 85,000 Lady Health Workers to provide health care in the community for conditions including refractive error and cataracts. We’ve also trained more than 40,000 teachers to screen children in schools.
In collaboration with provincial partners, we’ve established seven paediatric ophthalmology centres, and trained thousands of opthalmologists and surgeons.
Watch the video below to find out more about our eye health work in Pakistan.
At a glance
Total populationWhat we focus on
Key programmes
We also partner with local and national organisations to improve the rights of people with disabilities in the country and make sure they are not excluded from society, work or education.
Over 20 years Sightsavers has run numerous projects on inclusive education, including training teachers on how to include children with disabilities in the classroom, establishing the first-ever model inclusive technology lab at school and university level and equipping government institutions with accessible IT software and braille books for students with visual impairments.
In 2016, Pakistan became the first country in the world to localise the Sustainable Development Goals, see how the implementation work is progressing [pdf] and how Pakistan’s eye health services are incorporating disability inclusion [pdf].
In January 2020, Pakistan signed its first ever law which protects the rights of people with disabilities.
How we’re making a difference in Pakistan
School eye screening
Sometimes a simple pair of glasses can change a child’s life. Sightsavers has been training teachers to screen children for vision problems.
Read their stories
Disability rights
Disability rights are high on the UN’s agenda – Country director Munazza Gilani looks at Pakistan’s priorities in the coming years.
Read Munazza’s blog
Reaching everyone
The Right to Health project worked with transgender communities to remove the barriers they face when accessing eye health services.
Read about the project
Your donation could help to protect sight in Pakistan
DONATEMore from Pakistan
Sightsavers film shortlisted for Cannes World Film Festival award
Noor, a short film about the impact of childhood visual impairment, has been selected for the ‘Best health film’ category at the Cannes World Film Festival.
Who is Hussain fundraises for Sightsavers at half-marathon
The charitable foundation is raising £35,000 for Sightsavers’ work in Pakistan through its Sprint for Sight campaign.
“Now we can get the help we need”
In Pakistan and Bangladesh, the Right to Health project worked with transgender communities to remove the barriers they face when accessing inclusive eye health services.
The Global Disability Summit: views from Pakistan and Kenya
Our country office teams in Pakistan and Kenya spoke to the organisations of people with disabilities they work with about their hopes for the upcoming Global Disability Summit.
“Now I can see again, I can make money to support my family”
Father and grandfather Sardar from Pakistan is the main breadwinner for his family. But his children and grandchildren faced an uncertain future when he began to develop cataracts.
Diabetic retinopathy: a growing challenge in Pakistan
Pakistan is on the brink of a diabetes epidemic, and Sightsavers has spent the past decade working to combat diabetes-related blindness in the country. Here's what we've learned.
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