The goal of The Foundation's work in Lao People's Democratic Republic (PDR) is to reduce avoidable blindness through improving access to high quality, sustainable and affordable eye care services.

The four northern provinces targetted by the program since 2008 are considered to be amongst the poorest areas of the country, where the mountainous terrain and high levels of poverty continue to be significant barriers to accessing essential services.

The Foundation is working alongside its partners in Lao PDR to increase the maximum amount of cataract surgeries that are performed each year in the country.

In 2008 only 5,500 (approx) cataract surgeries were performed annually. The country's backlog of cataract cases is estimated at 28,500 with a further 5,700 cases occurring each year.

Find out more about the Lao PDR program.

Through our program work in Lao PDR, The Foundation:

• Screened 5,505 people screened during mobile surgery activities
  
  
• Performed 573 cataract surgeries, and 121 other eye surgeries
  
  
• Completed construction and equipped Oudomxay Provincial Hospital Eye Unit - providing essential eye care services to the 4 northern provinces
  
  
• Screened and diagnosed an additional 1,239 people, and prescribed spectacles
  
  
• Distributed 600 subsidized spectacles as part of the refractive error screening campaign conducted during World Sight Day in Luang Namtha and Bokeo provinces
  
  
• Held Inaugural Eye Health Professionals Workshop in Oudomxay Province - The Foundation's Medical Director, Dr Richard le Mesurier provided on-the-ground training to 15 ophthalmologists
  
  
• Supported ophthalmologists of Bokeo and Luang Namtha to study English - enabling improved access to educational resources
  
  
• Supported ophthalmology residency training ophthalmologist in Thailand (2009-2010) - upon completion of his studies the ophthalmologist will be the only fully trained eye surgeon in his province.