HOW YOU CAN HELP
SEVA
Each year, Seva-supported programs
provide hundreds of thousands of people
in the developing world with access to
eye care. By focusing on sustainable,
community-driven projects that reach
the most underserved populations,
Seva helps communities establish
life-changing eye care services that
help people now and in the future.
www.seva.ca
ORBIS
OPERATION EYESIGHT
Operation Eyesight’s commitment
to sustainable community-based eye
care distinguishes us from the crowd.
It is an innovation that, if adopted by
other eye care organizations, may well
be the key to eliminating avoidable
blindness around the world. In the
poorest regions, people know that losing
their sight is like a death sentence.
We have an opportunity to actually
stamp out that threat for millions of
people. We work closely with the
International Agency for the Prevention
of Blindness (IAPB), the organization
that coordinates activities among
dozens of eye care organizations from
many different countries. This active
participation in the international eye
care community has given us an alliance with the best minds in the field
(leading to the organization’s current
approach) as well as a bird’s-eye view
of what’s working and what isn’t among
various approaches to eye care.
www.operationeyesight.com
12 EYE FOCUS | December Digital 2015
A mobile teaching hospital with a fully
equipped hospital onboard an airplane,
doctors trained in the latest ophthalmic
techniques, including pediatric
ophthalmology, bringing their surgical
knowledge and skills to doctors in
developing countries through handson training and lectures.
A grant from USAID and funds from
private donors enabled us to successfully convert a DC-8 plane into a fully
functional teaching eye hospital. As
replacement parts for the original
DC-8 plane became more difficult and
expensive to obtain, it became clear
that a newer, larger aircraft was needed.
In 1992, after a major fundraising
appeal, we purchased a wide-body
DC-10 to replace the DC-8.
http://can.orbis.org
THE FOUNDATION
FIGHTING BLINDNESS
The Foundation Fighting Blindness
mission is to lead the fight against
blindness by advancing retinal disease
research, education and public awareness, and ultimately restore hope
and sight.
With the support of donors, the
Foundation Fighting Blindness has
invested $28.4 million to support
vision research across Canada, since
1974. That's over 200 research grants
that have led to over 600 new discoveries in exciting areas of study like:
stem cell research, neuroprotective
therapies, technological developments,
pharmaceuticals and gene therapies.
All research supports our goal of
understanding why vision loss occurs,
how it can be slowed or stopped, and
how sight can be restored.
The foundation represents hundreds
of volunteers, thousands of individuals
and families affected by retinal eye
diseases and scores of Canadian
scientists seeking cures for blindness.
www.ffb.ca
CANADIAN VISION CARE
A non-profit organization consisting
of eye care professionals who donate
time and resources to the development
of vision care in the third world.
It has travelled to countless areas in
need including Jamaica, Costa Rica,
Philippines, Africa, Guyana.
The provide primary eyecare (eye exam
and glasses) and surgical care. CVC is
proud to have created a structure where
the 3 O's (Optomery, Opthalmology
and Opticianry) work together to
deliver thorough, comprehensive and
integrated care in the developing
world.
www.canadianvisioncare.com