Equipping local specialists to restore sight and transform lives.
He understood the importance of passing on knowledge, skills, and compassion. This belief drives our mission to train the next generation of eye health workers across the Pacific.
Avoidable blindness limits too many lives. By training local eye doctors, nurses and specialists to restore sight in their communities, we are setting the stage for more equitable eye care.Â
One of the biggest challenges in the Pacific is the shortage of trained eye health specialists. We are working to change this by supporting the training of local eye doctors, nurses, community health workers, and technicians.
We partner with Fiji National University and the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji, as well as Divine Word University and Madang Provincial Hospital in Papua New Guinea, to provide high-quality education and practical experience. Our graduates return to their communities to work with their Ministries of Health, giving thousands of people access to essential eye care.
Together with our Ministry of Health partners, we have supported the training of 372 eye health specialists from 15 countries across the Pacific and Timor-Leste, strengthening local health systems and transforming lives.
Training local eye doctors and nurses is one of the most sustainable ways to eliminate avoidable blindness and vision impairment in the Pacific and ensure equitable and permanent access to eye care for all.  Â
Through our Workforce Support programmes, we provide ongoing training and mentoring to ensure eye health workers have everything they need once they return to their communities. This support is especially important for those working in remote areas, where they can often feel isolated.
We help them stay connected, supported, and equipped with the latest knowledge and skills, allowing them to continue delivering high-quality eye care.
Through the training of eye health workers, we will strengthen eye care throughout the Pacific and build an eye health workforce that can support local communities. Together we can ensure no person must live with avoidable vision loss or blindness.Â
By working with Pacific partners to offer ongoing skills, training, education opportunities and to foster local expertise, we can create a highly skilled, expertly trained and trusted local workforce of eye doctors, nurses and clinicians.
The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is a registered charitable organisation under the Charities Act 2005.
Charities Commission registration number is CC23722.
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