Info Sheets

Blindness is most prevalent in developing countries where malnutrition, inadequate health and education services, poor water quality and a lack of sanitation leads to a high incidence of eye disease.   Find out about the latest blindness statistics 

Cataract is the leading cause of blindness in the world. While easily treated with surgery, most
people affected by cataracts live in developing countries where eye health services are difficult to access, costly or are simply not available. Read more about cataract blindness

Every five seconds someone in the world goes blind, mostly in developing countries where blindness can lead to inescapable poverty and early death. Sadly, much of this blindness is avoidable and caused by diseases that can be prevented or treated. Find out more about the causes of global blindness.

Vision charts are used to assess how well a person can see. Distance vision charts might have lines of letters, or Es or shapes for people who cannot read.  Find out more about vision charts and 20/20 vision, and have a go at testing your own eyes by downloading our printable vision chart.  Find out more

Fred Hollows was a skilled Kiwi eye surgeon of international renown, who dedicated his life to restoring sight and fighting avoidable blindness in the developing word. Find out more about Kiwi hero, Fred Hollows.

Fred Hollows is well remembered as a skilled surgeon and a true humanitarian. As well as conducting radio interviews during his lifetime, he has had many books written about him, with his work featured on a number of websites. There has even been a film made about him and several buildings dedicated to his memory. Find out about Fred Hollows online, in print, on radio and on film.

The Fred Hollows Foundation was launched in September 1992 to continue the work of its founder the late Professor Frederick Cossom Hollows (9 April 1929 – 10 February 1993). The vision of The Fred Hollows Foundation is for a world where no one is needlessly blind and where everyone has the right to sight, and the right to health.  Find out more about The Fred Hollows Foundation

Cataract blindness occurs when the natural lens of the eye becomes cloudy, causing gradual loss of vision and ultimately blindness. To restore sight to those suffering from cataract blindness the clouded lens must be removed from the eye and replaced with a clear intraocular lens, or IOL.
Find out more about the IOL and how it works

Blindness can be both a result of poverty and also a cause. Approximately 90% of the world's blind people live in developing countries and those affected by blindness usually fall further into poverty. Alleviating blindness is an effective way of reducing poverty.  Find out more about The Foundation's approach to reducing blindness and poverty.