Operation Eyesight Universal
2,360,895
people screened for eye conditions in 2024
90 per cent
of vision loss is preventable or treatable
$75
can cover the cost of a life-changing cataract surgery
About
At Operation Eyesight, we believe that everyone has the right to quality eye health care – regardless of age, gender or ability to pay. By preventing blindness and restoring sight, our work helps children thrive in school, keeps adults employed and empowers seniors to live more independently.
Since 1963, we have partnered with hospitals in our countries of work to make eye health care more accessible. We reach people in remote, rural and underserved communities through door-to-door and school eye health screenings – and we make sure everyone in the community has access to the eye care they need, like prescription eyeglasses, cataract surgeries and other treatments.
We don’t just provide services – we build lasting solutions. By working closely with communities, setting up vision centres and strengthening local hospitals, we’re helping people take charge of their own eye health, now and for the future.
Our Impact
Every dollar donated to Operation Eyesight is invested wisely to ensure we operate and deliver our programs effectively. For seven years in a row, we’ve been named a Top 10 Impact Charity by Charity Intelligence Canada, recognizing our effective programming.
Every year, we prevent blindness and restore sight in thousands of people, and screen millions more for eye conditions. In 2024 alone:
- 280,982 eye surgeries were performed by our partner hospitals
- 2,360,895 people were screened for eye conditions through our partner hospitals, vision centres and outreach camps
- 272,911 pairs of custom prescription eyeglasses were dispensed
- 2, 010 frontline staff were trained in primary eye care
- 129 boreholes were drilled or rehabilitated
These numbers tell only part of the story – our true impact is seen in the lives of individual people, like Hayat in Ethiopia, pictured above. Hayat failed the first grade – twice! – because she couldn’t see well enough to do her schoolwork. But the persistent little girl kept at it, and she was at school the day our team came by to screen students for eye conditions. Just weeks later, Hayat had her own pair of prescription eyeglasses and renewed confidence that she can catch up with her classmates.
How your gift will be used
You can leave behind a legacy of lives transformed by the Gift of Sight. Every dollar counts; just $20 can provide a pair of prescription eyeglasses, while $75 can provide a sight-saving cataract surgery. Larger gifts could create even bigger impact:
- Train community health workers to reach underserved areas.
- Expand school screening programs to help more children see clearly.
- Build or equip new vision centres to serve entire regions.
- Drill boreholes to provide clean, fresh water to communities in need and stop the spread of blinding trachoma.
The Gift of Sight is truly a gift!
By including Operation Eyesight Universal in your will, you can extend your compassion and values far into the future. A legacy gift ensures that children like Hayat will receive the gift of seeing clearly in the classroom and thrive in their studies.
It’s a simple but powerful way to create lasting impact. After caring for your loved ones, consider leaving a gift in your will to Operation Eyesight — and know that your legacy will help eliminate preventable blindness for generations to come.
Legal Name
Operation Eyesight Universal
Charity Number
119068955 RR 0001
