The Fred Hollows Foundation has welcomed the Australian Government’s naming of avoidable blindness as one of five key focus areas for its aid program following the release of AusAID’s 2010-11 Annual Report.

The report also highlights the Government’s achievements in addressing avoidable blindness through the Avoidable Blindness Initiative (ABI). Over the past few years, the initiative has screened or treated several thousands of people in countries ranging from Pakistan to Fiji. It has also helped train eye health workers, purchased vital medical equipment and improved eye health infrastructure.

The Foundation’s CEO, Brian Doolan, says that the Australian people should be extremely proud of this particular part of their aid program – which has already helped restore sight to thousands of people.

“We are certainly on the right track and the Australian people, through their Government, have really led the world in this fight against avoidable blindness,” says Doolan.

“We have a very unique opportunity to eradicate this great problem across the globe over the next decade. We’re very pleased that the Government are continuing to make avoidable blindness a key focus area for our aid program.”

Some of the major achievements listed by AusAID in its Annual Report include: supporting eye surgery for over 1,350 people in Timor Leste, undertaking 7,668 sight restoring operations in Cambodia and providing training and equipment throughout four provinces of Pakistan.

The Australian Government provided an additional $30.2 million over four years as part of the 2010–11 budget to support developing countries to improve the quality of life of people with disability, and improve access to social and economic opportunities.

Find out more about ending avoidable blindness.