Our year at a glance

This Performance Report reflects the collective effort of many. As you read the report, I hope you’ll see not only the progress made, but the community of people and organisations who made it achievable.

I am proud of what has been achieved this year, and equally proud of the way it was achieved, with respect, partnership, and a clear focus on equity.

At the heart of this progress is work like the build of the Centre for Eye Health in Papua New Guinea. Sometimes the most worthwhile sustainable solutions are the hardest to achieve, and bringing this project to life has been many years in the making — and thanks to many people.

Construction began in late December 2024 and is progressing steadily, with completion due by the end of the year. Once operational, it will be PNG's first purpose-built facility dedicated to both specialist eye care and the training of eye health professionals.

This major investment also provides important context for The Foundation’s financial position this year. A significant portion of funding currently held in reserves is already committed to the PNG Centre for Eye Health, including funding received in advance for construction and support for its early years of operation. We also continue to hold a contingency reserve in line with policy to help protect the continuity of our work through unexpected challenges or changes in funding. In short, these reserves reflect careful stewardship, existing commitments, and responsible planning for long-term impact.

In August 2025 we welcomed Prime Minister Christopher Luxon to the construction site, providing an opportunity to acknowledge the partnership between New Zealand and Papua New Guinea in improving eye health.

I look forward to the day we can welcome our partners to see the doors open – and the difference it will make in the lives of so many Papua New Guineans.

The word 'sustainability' has many interpretations. For me, one of them has always been; supporting people to better help themselves for the long-term, and that remains a key motivation for The Foundation. One example is our ‘Building Climate-Resilient Healthcare Facilities in the Pacific’ report, released in November 2025. It draws on research undertaken over the past two years and sets out the climate risks facing healthcare services, alongside practical steps to protect and future-proof essential care, including eye health. This work provides a vital evidence base for governments and health leaders, helping ensure Pacific communities can continue to access the care they need, even in the face of climate challenges.

It’s been a year of recognition. Our 2024 Performance Report won the Excellence in Financial Reporting Award at the NZ CFO Awards – a result that reflects the collaboration, transparency and accountability behind our reporting. We were also honoured to be jointly awarded the 2025 António Champalimaud Foundation Vision Award, alongside the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and Lions Clubs International, recognising our shared contribution to preventing blindness and restoring sight.

In December, we were delighted to welcome Dr Ifereimi Waqainabete to the Board. Professor Waqainabete is a Fijian surgeon, former Minister of Health, and health systems leader who will bring a strong Pacific voice to the team. His experience will strengthen our focus on Pacific-led solutions and long-term, sustainable eye health systems.

Behind every outcome in this report are people — supporters who chose to give, partners who worked alongside us, and a team who delivered with care and consistency. Thank you for supporting the mahi of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ and keeping Fred’s vision of eye care for all alive.

In 2025, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ remained focused on what matters most: delivering quality eye care alongside our Pacific partners and strengthening the systems that sustain it.

A defining milestone this year was surpassing 100,000 sight-restoring surgeries delivered in the Pacific since our work began – achieved together with our partners. This is a powerful reflection of what can be accomplished when local eye care teams, governments, partners and donors unite around a shared goal. Behind each surgery is a life changed – a grandparent returning to work, a parent caring for their whānau, or a student able to stay in school.

Importantly, this milestone represents far more than a number. It reflects sustained investment in eye health systems – training, equipment, outreach and clinical leadership – ensuring people can access care not just once, but for generations to come. This long-term approach is especially critical in Papua New Guinea, where avoidable blindness remains unacceptably high.

During the year we strengthened our work in Papua New Guinea through two significant partnerships. We signed an agreement with Tilganga Eye Hospital in Nepal to build the capability of local eye care workers, confirmed at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE event in Kathmandu. This collaboration will support mutual learning and the exchange of clinical knowledge, resources and training approaches. We also established a strategic partnership with the Sir Brian Bell Foundation, supporting the training of three eye care nurses each year for the next three years, and contributing to long-term impact through the Papua New Guinea Centre for Eye Health.

These steps forward also highlight the people whose leadership has shaped our Pacific programme over many years. On behalf of Team Fred, I would like to acknowledge Dr John Szetu as he prepares to retire as Medical Director. Dr John has been part of our Pacific programme since its inception in 2001 and has delivered eye care across the region since 1988.

Over nearly four decades, he has made an extraordinary contribution to strengthening eye health in the Pacific, and his leadership has helped shape sustainable, locally led services across the region.

Together with our Pacific partners, he played a key role in establishing the Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji and co-founding the Pacific Eye Care Society (PacEYES). His leadership has been defined by a deep commitment to developing the Pacific eye care workforce by formalising training pathways, mentoring emerging clinicians, and championing Pacific-led services in their own communities.

Dr John will continue as Medical Director Emeritus, mentoring at the Regional Eye Centre in Solomon Islands and providing technical and clinical support as the Papua New Guinea Centre for Eye Health is commissioned and begins operations. We wish him every happiness in his well-earned retirement and are grateful that he will remain a trusted colleague, mentor, and friend to so many of us. In 2025, The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ remained focused on what matters most: delivering quality eye care alongside our Pacific partners and strengthening the systems that sustain it.

To everyone who supports our work – thank you. With your continued partnership, we will keep removing the barriers that prevent people with avoidable blindness or vision impairment from accessing high-quality, affordable eye care, while continuing to back Pacific-led solutions that deliver lasting change.

In eye health, the moments people remember are often the simplest: a patient seeing clearly again, a trainee gaining confidence, a clinic able to meet demand without outside support. In my final year as Medical Director, I’ve been proud to see those moments multiply.

In 2025, together with our partners, we enabled the delivery of 64,300 consultations, 4,935 sightsaving surgeries, and training of 38 eye doctors and nurses. While the highlights in this report may appear as separate stories, they are deeply connected – each reflects how we are restoring sight today while strengthening Pacific-led services for the future.

That connection was especially evident in November, when we had the privilege of hosting ThreeNews reporter Laura Tupou and camera operator Chino Barrett-Lovie in Solomon Islands. They witnessed first-hand the life-changing impact of restoring sight, alongside the growing challenges our teams face as climate pressures intensify. Their visit coincided with the launch of our report, Building Climate-Resilient Healthcare Facilities in the Pacific, and resulted in four powerful stories – following three patients through cataract surgery, and exploring the links between climate change, food insecurity, diabetes and preventable vision loss.

This coverage underscores a critical reality: the need is increasing, and meeting it sustainably requires investment in local capability. During their visit, the ThreeNews team also saw how stronger local training pathways are essential to safeguarding Pacific eye health. That is why The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is working with partners to establish satellite training campuses, including in Solomon Islands – expanding access to training, enabling clinicians to learn closer to home, and strengthening local eye care services for the long term.

Building the workforce is one part of the picture; supporting communities to protect their eye health is another. This commitment to prevention and partnership was reflected in World Sight Day activities across the region. Our teams led community outreach and advocacy initiatives to raise awareness about eye health, including free eye screenings for children, visits to workplaces, schools and community groups, and public engagement campaigns. These efforts do more than inform – they build trust, encourage earlier care-seeking, and reinforce the shared responsibility to ensure no one goes needlessly blind.

Over the past four decades, it has been a privilege to serve the Pacific and to be part of The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ’s journey. As I step back from the role of Medical Director, I do so with deep gratitude for the Pacific colleagues, communities and partners whose commitment has always driven this work forward. I am especially proud of the growth of Pacific-led eye care, and of the many doctors, nurses, and clinicians who have trained and gone on to lead services in their own countries.

While I will remain connected to the work as Medical Director Emeritus, I feel confident in what lies ahead. The foundations are strong, and they are grounded in a shared belief that everyone has the right to high-quality, affordable eye care.