The Fred Hollows Foundation has marked 20 years of improving eye health in Kenya, celebrating two decades of partnership with the government, development partners, and local communities to combat avoidable blindness and restore sight.
The Anniversary event, held under the theme “Twenty Years of Transforming Lives Through Better Vision”, brought together national and county leaders, health experts, and development partners to reflect on the Foundation’s impact and chart the way forward.
Speaking during the celebrations in Nairobi Wednesday, the Foundation’s Global Chief Executive Officer Ross Piper emphasized the importance of strengthening health systems to ensure sustainable and equitable access to eye care services.
Piper noted that the Foundation’s work across East Africa has demonstrated the value of long-term partnerships in expanding access to eye health services. He cited ongoing investments in Tanzania, where more than two million people have benefited from eye health interventions.
Australian Deputy High Commissioner Chris Ellinger said the Foundation’s partnership with Kenya, supported by the Australian Government, has enabled more than 1.8 million Kenyans to access eye care services over the past two decades.
He said over 100,000 cataract surgeries have been supported, alongside expanded access to spectacles and other essential eye health services, helping children learn better, adults return to work, and older persons regain independence.
Embu County Executive Committee Member for Health Jamal Runyenjes praised the Foundation’s collaboration with county governments, describing it as a successful partnership that has improved access to eye care, particularly in underserved communities.
Runyenjes said eye health should be treated as both a health and development priority, noting that poor vision affects education, productivity, and quality of life.
Through the Vision Impact Project implemented between 2021 and 2025, Embu County screened more than 276,000 people for eye conditions, treated over 61,000 patients through outreach programmes and supported 1,067 cataract surgeries.
The Foundation has also played a key role in Kenya’s efforts to eliminate trachoma, particularly in arid and semi-arid regions.
West Pokot Governor Simon Kachapin said collaboration between the foundation, the Ministry of Health, county governments, and local communities helped reduce trachoma prevalence in the county to levels below World Health Organization thresholds.
Kachapin noted that mass treatment campaigns conducted between 2012 and 2014 significantly reduced the disease burden in the region.
As the Foundation celebrates more than two decades of work in Kenya, stakeholders highlighted the need to sustain investments in eye health to ensure vulnerable populations, including children, older persons, and people living in remote areas, continue to access quality eye care services.
By Wangari Ndirangu
