The Foundation restored sight to 195,406 people across 18 countries last year - an increase of around 125,000 operations since 2006.

Results also show The Foundation screened over 1.7 million people, trained 5,878 eye health workers, including surgeons and provided over $2.5 million of vital medical equipment.

"It's an absolutely amazing result to be able to say that in the last calendar year over 195,000 eye operations occurred because of this little Australian organisation and because of Fred's dream," said Brian Doolan, The Foundation's CEO.  

"This result wouldn't have happened if it weren't for the Australian public. If it wasn't for the ordinary mums and dads, the kids, the people who collect a bit of money to donate to the Foundation, then we couldn't do it."

"I think Fred would say ‘Oh get on with it, don't get up yourself and don't get too carried away with what you've achieved last year. Just go and do more this year!'"

"Then I think he might have a whisky to celebrate the achievements and I think quietly he would be very proud."

"We can overcome avoidable blindness. There's no reason people should go blind just because they're poor."

"We need to get on with that job and show how that's going to be done - and that's exactly what we're doing."

2009 Achievements

Thanks to our supporters, The Foundation:

• Looked into the eyes of 1,765,079 people
• Performed 195,406 eye operations and treatments - up from 176,472 in 2008
• Trained 5,878 eye health workers, including 85 surgeons - up from 5,217 in 2008
• Provided $2,543,003 worth of essential medical equipment
• Built or upgraded 19 eye health facilities
• Carried out successful eye programs in the Northern Territory, and new initiatives to 'close the gap' in life expectancy between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians
• Extended our programs into new areas such as Lao PDR and Burundi.

For more information on The Foundation's results, download the 2009 Annual Report (http://www.hollows.org.au/Annual_Reports/).