Transforming Lives by Restoring Sight
Seva’s vision is a world free of blindness. Seva is a leading innovator in the delivery of vital eye care services to the world’s most vulnerable, including women, children, and indigenous peoples. Restoring sight relieves suffering and reduces poverty. Since 1978, Seva has:
- Helped 5 million people regain their sight.
- Provided sight-saving surgeries, eyeglasses, medicine and other eye care services to tens of millions of people in need.
- Supported the development of self-sustaining eye care programs for underserved communities in 20 countries.
Every year, Seva funds programs that provide eye care to 1 million of the world’s most marginalized people.
Why Sight?
An estimated 217 million people in the world are vision impaired and 36 million people are blind. 80% of all blindness and vision impairment can be prevented or cured. According to the World Bank, restoring sight is one of the most cost-effective health interventions to reduce poverty. Blindness affects individuals, families, and the community. It keeps people trapped in poverty. Restoring one person’s sight gives two people their lives back: the person who was blind and their caregiver.
Although more than half of people living with blindness and visual impairment are women and girls, they only receive one-third of eye care services worldwide. Seva is committed to making eye care accessible for women and girls. Seva also prevents and treats blindness in children. According to USAID, half of children who become blind die within one year. Children who have their vision restored are given an average of 50 years of sight.
A Sustainable Solution
Seva’s programs have reduced the cost of cataract surgery to just $50 and have been instrumental in making eye care available to the global poor. Seva provides:
- Training for local doctors and community outreach personnel
- Updated eye care technology and techniques
- A financially sustainable model that leverages sliding-scale patient fees to ensure everyone has access to care regardless of ability to pay
To donate and learn more, visit: seva.org.