How LASIK MD Is Supporting Accessible Eyecare In Zambia With Operation Eyesight

For over 10 years, LASIK MD has proudly supported Operation Eyesight in its efforts to promote accessible vision care and combat preventable blindness across the world. This past year, we had the opportunity to support the organization’s work in Zambia, where we’ve excitedly started to see our efforts produce tangible results.

Below, we reflect on what LASIK MD and Operation Eyesight have accomplished in Zambia so far, our plans for the future, and how you can get involved to support their life-changing work.

What Is Operation Eyesight?

Since it was founded in 1963 in Calgary, Alberta, Operation Eyesight has emerged as a significant contributor in the fight against preventable blindness and other eye conditions in low- and middle-income nations, specifically by partnering with hospitals and government bodies.

Operation Eyesight estimates that over 1.1 billion people worldwide suffer from vision loss, with the majority living in developing nations. More alarmingly, 90% of these cases can be treated or even prevented with basic access to vision care.

This is where Operation Eyesight comes in. They’ve adopted a community-centered approach to not only promote access to affordable eye care, but to moreover address the root causes of blindness and vision loss. They do this through a variety of initiatives, such as empowering local healthcare workers through training in screening and patient referral protocols as well as fostering community awareness on topics such as eye health, nutrition, vaccinations, and fetal-maternal health.

Moreover, Operation Eyesight places an emphasis on enhancing the capacity of hospitals, as they partner with 70 hospitals globally. This includes equipping facilities with state-of-the-art tools, providing comprehensive staff training, and establishing specialized eye health units within hospitals.

How LASIK MD Supported Operation Eyesight In 2023

In 2023, the money LASIK MD raised in tandem with Operation Eyesight went directly to support the organization’s work in Zambia where initiatives were specifically aimed at improving water accessibility and sanitation practices within Zambian communities.

A major component of this strategy has involved the drilling and refurbishment of boreholes in regions heavily affected by trachoma, a contagious bacterial infection that’s the leading cause of preventable blindness worldwide. Trachoma is most commonly found in areas with poor sanitation and limited access to clean water.

Boreholes – narrow, deep wells that are drilled into the ground to access underground water sources – can provide a reliable source of water, particularly in areas where there’s a lack of piped water systems or other conventional water supply sources. So, by building and restoring boreholes, it’s helped to improve basic hygiene practices (like face and handwashing) as well as curb the spread of infectious disease across Zambia.

Since 2021, Operation Eyesight has rehabilitated 31 boreholes, conducted 226 sight-saving surgeries, and reached almost 24,000 people while surveying communities for vision impairments in Zambia alone. As a result of these efforts, trachoma has successfully been eliminated from the Sinazongwe district, located in Zambia’s arid south. Moreover, Operation Eyesight recently established a School Eye Health program in the Matero Compound of Lusaka, Zambia to further promote vision care and education.

It's clear that Operation Eyesight’s work is having a life-changing impact on Zambian communities, and LASIK MD is proud to have supported these initiatives thus far. We extend our deepest gratitude to our patients and staff who’ve made it possible for LASIK MD to support Operation Eyesight throughout the years, and we’re excited to see what we accomplish next in our shared goal of promoting access to affordable eye care.

To learn how you can support Operation Eyesight’s endeavours and to get involved, be sure to visit their website. You can also subscribe to their email newsletter to stay up-to-date with their ongoing initiatives.

For more information on all things vision, including how LASIK eye surgery or another vision correction procedure can free you from glasses and contacts, visit our blog section or book a free consult with LASIK MD.