Pakistan
Untreated eye conditions such as cataracts affect millions of people in Pakistan. In 2017, we examined more than 7.6 million people for eye problems and supported 34,000 sight-saving operations.
Our work in Pakistan
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 and regular follow-up appointments in three districts in Pakistan. 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.
In 2017, Sightsavers carried out more than 7.6 million examinations in Pakistan to diagnose eye conditions such as cataracts, and we supported 34,700 operations to restore people’s sight.
Watch a video of our Pakistan Country Director explaining how Sightsavers is helping to achieve the United Nations’ Global Goals in Pakistan.
Meet our Pakistan Country Director
Munazza Gillani has been at Sightsavers for more than 10 years. She says: “The best part of my job is working with people with disabilities who are role models for others.”
How we're making a difference
The Giving Vision to Future Visionaries project focuses on reducing childhood blindness in Pakistan, which is most common in children under five. It is funded by USAID, and supported by Sightsavers.
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 and provided 50 major and 200 minor operations for children who needed them.
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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.
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