Focusing on Improving Eye Care in the South Pacific

A collaboration between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a New Zealand-based charity will result in improving eye care for the most vulnerable and disadvantaged communities across the South Pacific region.

In April 2023, the Church of Jesus Christ began working with The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ (FHFNZ). The Church provides funding for the Strengthening Eye Care in the Pacific Project, with services provided in Fiji, Kiribati, Solomon Islands, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu.

Elder Peter F. Meurs, General Authority Seventy and President of the Church in the Pacific Area said, “We’re very grateful for our friends at the Fred Hollows Foundation New Zealand, and for their focus on providing facilities and training that lead to self-reliant eye care provided by local people across the South Pacific.

“The needs are great, and the work is lifted as we unite our efforts. The Lord Jesus Christ restored sight to many, and in so doing, he also helped people to see who they truly were, as precious children of God. As followers of Jesus Christ, this is the pattern we strive to emulate.”

The FHFNZ works in partnership with ministries of health across the Pacific region as they strengthen their eye health systems to improve and increase eye care services for their populations.

Lauren Butler-Howard of the FHFNZ expressing gratitude for the Church’s involvement, noted, “Improving eye health not only advances good health and well-being; it also directly supports the wider development priorities of education, economic development, and gender and disability inclusions.”

The project focuses on three key areas:

(1) the provision of essential goods and equipment, including support to diabetic retinopathy clinics;

(2) training and workforce support for specialist eye doctors and eye nurse graduates;

(3) conducting health promotion and comprehensive eye care services, including hard-to-reach populations.

In Fiji, the Church donated a Carl Zeiss microscope, which enabled the clinical team to better examine the eye and diagnose eye health conditions. The Pacific Eye Institute team conducted an impressive 27,501 eye health consultations over the past year.

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In Vanuatu, the team at the National Eye Centre in Port Vila, recently received an Yttrium Aluminum Garnet (YAG) Laser, which is used to treat eye health conditions such as cataract, diabetic retinopathy, and macular degeneration.

National Eye Centre ophthalmologist, Dr. Andonico Ly, said, “We are extremely appreciative of this donation and look forward to using it over the years to improve the eye health of Ni-Vanuatu people.”

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In Tonga and Samoa, clinical teams were equipped with new slip lamps which allow patients to be screened for a wide range of eye health conditions.

Training and education are provided by the FHFNZ’s Workforce Support managers. Primary health care personnel participated in three-day workshops to increase their eye health knowledge and develop their skills, particularly around diabetes.

In Papua New Guinea, the team at the Madang Eye Clinic brought screening and education events to the communities outside of the Madang District for the first time.

The team visited Megiar Catholic Mission, a primary school and a high school in the Sumkar District. In total, 180 individuals received screenings, including older community members who had never previously received an eye examination.

World Sight Day events were held across Fiji, Papua New Guinea, and Solomon Islands. With a theme of “Love Your Eyes,” these events were designed to help people prioritise their eye health and ensure that eye care is accessible and affordable.

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These events provide the opportunity to enhance community awareness of eye health and notify community members of the nearest available eye care services. They provide free eye care services such as comprehensive eye care screenings, check-ups, distribution of spectacles, and in some cases, surgeries are performed.