Providing support

We do even more than surgery, providing in-country support to help end avoidable blindness and vision impairment in the Pacific.

We take a comprehensive approach to providing support for eye care across the Pacific region, working with governments, Ministries of Health, universities, community organisations, and other development partners.

The Pacific region faces unacceptably high levels of avoidable blindness and vision impairment. 9 out of 10 people globally are blind but don’t need to be because their condition is preventable or treatable.

We are striving to change this by working with our Pacific partners to restore and preserve the sight of our Pacific neighbours, train the next generation of eye health workers, and build more effective and independent eye health systems.

Eye care services

The delivery of eye care services is a key aspect of the support we provide, including:

Eye care clinics: We support seven eye care clinics across the Pacific. These facilities provide essential eye care services such as consultations, screening and surgeries for a range of eye health needs including cataract, refractive error and diabetes eye disease. If you would like to access these services, please contact your nearest clinic. The clinics also provide trainee eye doctors and nurses with opportunities to practice and develop their eye care skills.
Outreach services: Access to eye health care is often difficult for many people in the Pacific due to geographic barriers and the cost of travel. We support outreach services that provide much-needed eye care in areas that currently have no eye doctors, clinics or other services. Contact your local clinic to find out when an outreach is happening near you.
Targeting eye health inequality: We believe in inclusive eye health care and that all people should be able to access quality eye care services. So, we collaborate with local groups such as disability centres, women’s centres and schools to work towards equality in eye health care.

Eye care training

We know that training even one eye doctor can have a huge impact. But we are striving for more. Our goal is for every country we partner with to have enough local eye health workers to reach everyone in need.

To achieve this, we work with local universities to provide support for the training of local eye health specialists.

In Fiji, the Pacific Eye Institute partners with Fiji National University to deliver three post-graduate level courses in eye care specialist qualifications: Master of Medicine (MMed (Ophth)), Postgraduate Diploma in Ophthalmology (PGDO) and Postgraduate Diploma in Eye Care (PGDEC).
In Papua New Guinea, the Madang Provincial Eye Hospital partners with Divine Word University to offer: Bachelor of Health Management, and Advanced Diploma in Eye Care, the country’s only training programmes for eye nurses; and we support the University of Papua New Guinea in offering Master of Medicine (MMed (Ophth)).

In partnership with Fiji National University, Divine Word University (PNG), and the University of Papua New Guinea, we offer academic scholarships to Pacific students studying towards postgraduate qualifications in eye care. Scholarship applications are made directly through the universities; please contact the relevant university for more information and to find out how to apply.

We also provide workforce support, through ongoing professional development, postgraduate support and training.

Strengthening local eye health care systems

We support Pacific Island countries to develop robust, sustainable, equitable, and locally led eye health care systems. In addition to services and training, we:

Provide national planning support: We support countries as they develop their National Eye Care Plans. To date, we have supported the development of plans in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Solomon Islands and Samoa. We are also supporting the current development of Tonga’s National Eye Care Plan and Vanuatu’s next National Eye Care Plan. We also advocate for countries to establish a National Eye Health Coordinator role to implement and align National Eye Care Plans to the needs of our Pacific partners.
Support research and help to build evidence on eye health in the Pacific: We support the implementation of crucial eye health research activities, such as national prevalence surveys and eye health system assessments, in collaboration with ministries of health, universities and other stakeholders. These activities will help us to better understand eye health needs and support governments to plan and lead their eye health systems.
Support advocacy and eye health promotion: The Foundation helps to raise awareness of eye health issues and the available eye care services in the Pacific Island countries where we work. We do this by advocating for eye health in national and regional platforms, such as the annual Pacific Heads of Health meetings.

News and updates

Fred’s legacy in motion: From the frontline to the future

9 April 2025

Today we celebrate the life and legacy of our founder and legendary Kiwi eye doctor, Professor Fred Hollows. Fred made his name working on the frontline of eye health. He went where the need was greatest, created innovative ways to deliver surgery, and worked tirelessly to restore sight. But being on the frontline wasn’t Fred’s […]

27 March 2025

We’re delighted to welcome Lisa Tai to the Board of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ. Lisa brings a wealth of experience in Pacific leadership, social services, governance, risk management and partnerships.

23 January 2025

For every donation you make, you are able to claim 33.33% back as a tax credit.

Providing support

Eye care services

Eye care training

Strengthening local eye health care systems

News and updates

Fred’s legacy in motion: From the frontline to the future

Welcoming Lisa Tai as our new Board member

How to claim your tax credit

Our partners

Get impact in your inbox

Newsletter sign up form