Since the foundation of Vision Aid Overseas, community outreach services run by professionally trained optical volunteers have been essential in making eyecare accessible. For people in very remote areas it can be their only hope of improving poor sight through their first ever eye test and a pair of prescription glasses.

Today, Vision Aid Overseas continues to operate community outreach programmes that complement its Vision Centres and reinforce existing eyecare services. By providing eye examinations in local communities, Vision Aid Overseas volunteers can ensure that even more people benefit from treatment and also provide practical training opportunities for local eyecare personnel.

Working with local hospitals all our community outreach services benefit from the clinical leadership of in-country eyecare specialists, fitting in with the national eyecare plan of each country we work in. Huge numbers of people attend and leave with their sight transformed. Our eye tests also identify patients with more complex eye problems that can be referred to hospitals or doctors for further treatment.

Vision Aid Overseas believes that augmenting locally based services with the involvement of professional volunteers is essential if the greatest number of patients are to be helped.

Find out more about where we undertake community outreach services.