The Fred Hollows Foundation funds cataract surgery and other eye-health programmes in developing countries. It says a $25 donation can cover the surgeon's time, consumable equipment and the intraocular lens needed for one cataract operation, though actual costs vary by country. The foundation also trains local eye-health workers so care continues after any single surgical mission ends.
A different kind of medical gift than the cleft-surgery options nearby — restoring sight through cataract surgery is one of the more cost-effective interventions in global health, per the foundation's own figures. Training local eye-health workers alongside the surgeries themselves also means the capacity to treat cataracts remains after any one mission wraps up.
Where the money goes
Surgeon's time, consumable equipment and the intraocular lens (IOL) for a cataract operation; about 74% of every dollar goes directly to eye-health programmes.
