Local Partners

The Foundation works with local partners throughout Africa, Australia, South Asia and South East Asia. Through strong partnerships and cross-sector collaborations – at local, national and global levels, we support and implement programs, monitor their progress and evaluate their impact.

Australia

The Foundation signed a Heads of Agreement with the Jawoyn Association in 2000, to undertake an Indigenous nutrition project, in the Jawoyn region, east of Katherine in the Northern Territory. The Indigenous Health Program has greatly expanded since that time and Sunrise Health Service Aboriginal Corporation has become another major partner. More information.

Bangladesh

The Foundation commenced small scale activities with Grameen Kalyan, the health arm of the Grameen Bank, in 1999. A number of important training initiatives have since been implemented in Bangladesh with the support of The Foundation. More information.

Cambodia

The Foundation began working with the National Eye Health Program (formerly named the Cambodian National Sub Committee for the Prevention of Blindness) in 1997. Initial support focused on training Basic Eye Doctors and the provision of IOLs and equipment to a revolving materials bank. More information.

China

In early 1998, (following several years of discussion with the Ministry of Health and China Disabled People's Federation), The Foundation undertook a pilot program in Jiangxi province, in partnership with the Jiangxi Provincial Bureau of Health. Since then, the partnership has been strengthened and the China-Australia Cataract Blindness Prevention Program has trained and equipped doctors in numerous hospitals. More information.

Eritrea

Much of The Foundation's initial work in Eritrea focused on the construction of the IOL manufacturing laboratory and the provision of training and equipment for local doctors. A formal Memorandum of Understanding has been undertaken with the Eritrean Ministry of Health to progress a program which will strengthen the Eritrean Blindness Prevention Program and the National VISION 2020 Blindness Strategy. More information.

Kenya

In 2002, a major step towards developing support for a blindness prevention program in East Africa began, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital (Eye Unit). More information.

Nepal

While Fred Hollows and The Foundation (through the Nepal Eye Program Australia), initially supported the work of local ophthalmologist Dr Sanduk Ruit, funding was soon galvanised for the construction of an IOL manufacturing facility. The IOL laboratory (which opened in June 1994), along with a surgicentre and eye bank form Tilganga Eye Centre (TEC). The TEC is operated by the Nepal Eye Program which is registered as an NGO with the Social Welfare Council of Nepal. More information.

Pakistan

The Foundation's program in Pakistan commenced in October 1997 in conjunction with the Pakistan Institute for Community Ophthalmology (PICO) and the National Committee for the Prevention of Blindness for Pakistan (NCPB). The initial focus of the program was to train and equip ophthalmologists from rural and remote areas of the North Western Frontier Province (NWFP), to perform modern cataract surgery. Today, The Foundation's Pakistan-Australia District Eye Care Program focuses on comprehensive blindness prevention, in partnership with PICO and the Provincial Ministries of Health in NWFP, Balochistan, Punjab and Sindh Provinces. More information.

South Africa

In October 2001, The Foundation signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Health. The Eastern Cape Blindness Prevention Program was launched in East London in February 2002. More information.

Vietnam

Fred Hollows first visited Vietnam in April 1992, which was the location of The Foundation's third international eye health program. As part of the Vietnam Cataract Blindness Eradication Project, and in partnership with the Vietnam National Eye Hospital (formerly named the Vietnam National Institute of Ophthalmology) and the Ministry of Health, The Foundation has since trained and equipped hundreds of doctors throughout Vietnam to perform modern cataract surgery. More information.