Qatar Fund for Development collaborated with Orbis to expand Qatar Creating Vision Phase Two in Ethiopia

Qatar Fund for Development (QFFD) has collaborated with international eye care charity Orbis to further cement their cooperation for phase two of the Qatar Creating Vision (QCV) initiative in Ethiopia. This collaboration solidifies the commitment of the parties to improve access to eye care services in Ethiopia. QCV in Ethiopia aims to support the elimination of Trachoma, the world’s leading cause of infectious blindness, by providing hundreds of thousands of eye tests, screenings, treatments, and surgeries. Despite its highly contagious nature, Trachoma can be effectively countered through the World Health Organization’s SAFE strategy, which advocates for Surgery, Antibiotics, Facial cleanliness, and Environmental improvement.

The project falls under the QCV initiative and was launched in April 2022. Within the program’s first year, nearly 40,000 eye screenings were conducted to detect Trachoma and other eye conditions. Consequently, over 2,000 surgeries were performed, providing 1,120 training opportunities for eye health professionals, community leaders, and teachers, enabling them to offer comprehensive eye care services. The painful eye condition affects more women than men, with women accounting for 70% of cases. Between October and March of this year, the program addressed the gender imbalance by ensuring that 73% of individuals receiving surgery for advanced Trachoma were women.

Despite the ongoing challenge of numerous Trachoma cases, the QFFD-supported project is working to reduce the incident rate through the second phase of Qatar Creating Vision. This initiative underscores QFFD’s commitment to providing support to enhance eye care services. It is concentrated in three regions of the South Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region (SNNPR) — Amaro, Burji, and Dilla Zuria within the Gedeo Zone. This strategic focus emphasizes the dedication of QFFD to work with Orbis to make eye care more accessible for those in need of assistance.

With the support of QFFD, Orbis and partners have provided millions of eye treatments, tests, and surgeries through QCV. Just like the accomplishments of phase one of this initiative, phase two aims to accomplish more by treating more patients with Trachoma and other eye conditions and preventing the infectious disease from spreading further and impacting more people. This collaboration between QFFD and Orbis supports QCV in achieving phase two in Ethiopia. Moreover, the initiative lies within QFFD’s commitment on behalf of the state of Qatar to improve the livelihood of communities worldwide, promote sustainable development, and support social and economic progress in partner countries.

• Geography Ethiopia
• Timeline 2023 - 2023
• SDGS Good Health
• Sector Health Care
• Partner Orbis