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Outreach in Tonga

Tonga

We’re committed to doing even more than providing surgeries, which is why we partner with the Tongan Government to transform eye care systems and end avoidable blindness and vision impairment in the nation.

The remote Polynesian kingdom of Tonga is made up of an archipelago of 176 islands.
Tonga’s people live across 36 of the country’s islands, which are divided into four main groups: Tongatapu, Ha’apai, Vava’u and the Niuas. The capital, Nuku’alofa, is on the main island of Tongatapu. The country’s population is just over 100,000, with many people living in rural villages. Agriculture is a vital part of the Tongan economy.
Tonga Nurse EyeCheck

Eye health issues in Tonga

Tonga’s steep rise in obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease are the country’s most pressing health concerns. 

An estimated 15% of Tongans aged 25–64 are affected by diabetes. However, most have not been diagnosed and don’t realise that diabetes can cause diabetes eye disease. If undiagnosed and untreated, diabetes eye disease (also known as diabetic retinopathy) can lead to irreversible blindness.

With a small population and a shortage of doctors, Tonga has historically relied on eye nurses and health workers to provide most eye health care services. This has meant people with threatening conditions had to wait for visiting teams to receive treatment.

Our work in Tonga

In 2002 The Foundation began sending outreach teams to Tonga to provide eye health care services. Today, 13 Foundation-sponsored eye nurse graduates and two Foundation-sponsored eye doctors work in Tonga. These include Tongan-born Dr Duke Mataka, who completed his Master of Medicine (Ophthalmology) at The Pacific Eye Institute in Fiji, and Dr Antonio Taufaeteau who trained at Fiji National University before returning to his home island of Vava’u to deliver eye health care to his community. 

The Foundation also supports the Vaiola Hospital Eye Clinic in Nuku’alofa, ensuring the clinic has essential eye care equipment.

We also raise awareness within the local health sector about diabetes and its effects on eye health. This involves training health nurses to recognise and refer diabetic patients to an eye clinic. This is crucial so that people diagnosed with diabetes, particularly those in remote villages where access to health care is limited, know they need to get their eyes checked.

Tonga Eye Care Van Nov 2024

Tonga: Progress in sight

In 2023, The Foundation’s partnership with the Tongan Ministry of Health facilitated:

  • 10,976 eye care consultations 
  • 508 surgeries 
  • 183 diabetic retinopathy treatments 
  • The dispensing of 2,075 pairs of glasses
  • Short courses on Advanced Refraction and Low Vision for nurses from Tonga and other Pacific countries, which increased skills in identifying and treating refractive error.

An important addition to Tonga’s eye care services is the eye screening van, which began work in 2022. The van allows the local eye care team to travel to more remote areas, enabling the screening and earlier detection of eye health issues. Within a year of beginning operation, the van had conducted 4,738 eye consultations for local children. 

The Foundation has recently extended its partnership agreement with the Government of Tonga, reaffirming our shared commitment to eliminating avoidable blindness and vision impairment in the country, and making quality eye health care accessible for all Tongans. As part of our long-term goal, we continue to  train the local Tongan eye care workforce to ensure a sustainable, strong and locally-led eye care health system.