A small child walks along a hospital corridor, her mother covering one eye with her hand

Our work in Peru

Peru was one of the first countries visited by the Flying Eye Hospital in 1982.

For over 40 years since, Orbis has worked in Peru to support ophthalmic training and skills-sharing.

Avoidable Blindness in Peru

Out of a population of only 33 million people, 1.5 million people in Peru live with vision loss.

Peru has high levels of some of the more complex causes of eye disease in the region such as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) in premature babies and diabetic retinopathy.

1.5 million

people live with visual impairments

Around 1,500

ophthalmologists in Peru

33 million

people live in Peru

Saving Sight in Peru

Thanks to our partners and generous donors, Orbis has:

Implemented international good practices at partner hospitals that led to a decrease in the number of babies developing ROP
Established the first-ever Orbis Vision Centre in Latin America
Prescribed and delivered 429 pairs of glasses in 2023

Dr. Gordillo's urgent work saving the sight of premature babies continues

We have a wonderful story about an Orbis partner who is committed to helping premature babies avoid living a life of unnecessary blindness, even in the middle of a pandemic.

What’s Next?

Train medical staff using Cybersight, our award-winning telemedicine platform
Carry out two hospital based trainings in north Peru in 2024, which includes specialised glaucoma training for ophthalmologists and nurses
Implement an automated messaging service for follow-ups in the World Diabetes Foundation diabetic retinopathy project.
Establish a community ambassador program to promote community outreach and raise awareness for diabetic retinopathy