Celebrating 20 years of fighting blindness in Ethiopia

Orbis's hardworking and dedicated team in Ethiopia currently runs our largest portfolio of comprehensive eye care programmes, including training, governance and health system strengthening in both urban hospitals and rural eye care clinics.

In those 20 years, the Flying Eye Hospital has visited Ethiopia four times to help raise awareness of Orbis's work and the need for investment in eye care.

The Flying Eye Hospital will visit again in October 2018 for a three-week training programme focused on World Sight Day, helping staff and partners shine a spotlight on Ethiopia and the problems that the local population face accessing eye care.

While Orbis has had a host of successes over the last 20 years, the Ethiopian population has nearly doubled in that time, from 65 million in 1998 to 105 million in 2018.

The World Health Organisation estimates 1.6 million people are living with blindness in Ethiopia and 3.5 million are living with uncorrected low vision.

Even more alarmingly, 87% of blindness and 91% of low vision in Ethiopia is completely avoidable, which is much higher than the global average (75%).

While there's plenty more to do, Orbis has a lot to celebrate. Over the next few months, we’ll be sharing stories of some of the successes and the partners who have made it all possible.

You'll hear inspiring stories from our partners, who have done so much to help build the foundations for a brighter future, including key players such as the Ethiopian Federal Ministry of Health and Ethiopia Ophthalmology Society, who have been so vital to our work.

Local sponsors such as Ethiopian Airlines, NGO partners such as Sightsavers and Vision Aid Overseas, and international funders such as Irish Aid, the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and US Aid have all played a key role in training local teams and building the infrastructure required to deal with the eye care needs of Ethiopia’s growing population.

We'll post more news on events and activities surrounding the 20th anniversary over the next few months, as well as a full list of all those involved.

For now we would like to take the opportunity to thank all our supporters, staff, volunteers and partners who have made the last 20 years so worthwhile for Ethiopia and its people.