Every dollar invested in eye health delivers a return of $28
Our Work
The Fred Hollows Foundation has been at the forefront of a global movement for eye health for over 30 years, championing the belief that everyone has the right to sight. Working with governments, partners and local communities, we tackle the barriers to effective eye care and build stronger eye health systems. Our work has achieved remarkable impact in reducing blindness and vision loss, empowering individuals, and transforming communities worldwide.
The impact of restoring sight goes beyond treating blindness. Evidence shows us that affordable eye health interventions are key in not only reducing poverty but also in preventing deaths and injury caused by road accidents, reducing the number of people living with depression, and allowing family members acting as carers to return to work.
Read more here.
Your Impact
Fundraising for Fred's Big Run supports The Fred Hollows Foundation's work of ending avoidable blindness in the 25+ countries around the world in which the Foundation operates.
Your fundraising will have far-reaching and long-lasting impact, not only for those whose sight is restored but also for their families and the wider community.
You can read more about the men, women and children whose lives have changed thanks to your incredible fundraising efforts here.
What exactly is avoidable blindness?
In developing countries, 9 out of 10 people who are blind don’t need to be. Eye diseases like cataract, trachoma and diabetic retinopathy can lead to blindness when, in fact they’re either treatable or preventable.
The reason people live with blindness is that they can’t access or afford quality eye health care. In many cases, a 10-minute operation can restore sight or a dose of antibiotics can prevent blindness.
So many millions of people are blind simply because they live in poverty. The incredible injustice of this is the driving force behind our work.
Please take a minute to watch this short clip about our work:
The impact of restoring sight goes beyond treating blindness. In our research, we discovered that alleviating blindness is an effective way of reducing poverty in the developing world. If more people in a nation can see, more people can go to school, work, raise children, or start businesses. Ending avoidable blindness improves the economy, equality, skills and development of a country, while reducing its financial and social burden.
For every $1 you raise, $28 is returned in economic terms.
