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Eye care access for millions in poor urban communities

We are working to raise US$20million to make quality, long-term eye care services available to 20 million people in densely-populated and deprived urban areas of 20 cities worldwide, by 2014.

Since we began, Seeing is Believing has raised more than US$17million, restored sight for more than two million people and is funding work to prevent and cure blindness that will reach 10 million people by 2010.

"Seeing is Believing - A New Vision" is the fourth phase of our work so far - and our biggest challenge yet. We launched our commitment in October 2008, as a Clinton Global Initiative pledge.  It focuses on funding comprehensive and sustainable eye care in deprived, urban areas where access to eye care is limited or non-existent.  We want to leave a lasting legacy of ongoing care for 20 million people in need.

Avoidable blindness is increasingly an urban problem with more than half the world's population residing in urban areas.  The rapid growth in urban populations poses a huge challenge to public service delivery.  We want to ensure free or affordable, high quality eye services are available in the slums and undeprivileged areas.

We will do this by funding the development of medical infrastructure, the training of eye care personnel, and supporting service provision.  We will also empower communities to take an active stance in their own eye health through education and the training of community outreach workers and "vision entrepreneurs".

View the track record of Seeing is Believing and how it met its previous goals.