We partner with the Solomon Islands Government to create sustainable eye care services delivered by local people.
The country is comprised of nine main island groups, with the capital, Honiara, on Guadalcanal, the largest island. The main islands are mountainous, heavily forested and have very limited infrastructure, while many of the remote, outlying islands are atolls or raised coral islands.
Approximately 800,000 people call Solomon Islands home. Only one-third of the country’s islands are populated, with around 70,000 people living in Honiara
The leading causes of vision impairment in the country include:
Avoidable blindness and vision impairment are increasing in Solomon Islands, with the rise in diabetes eye disease a particular concern. In its early stages, diabetes eye disease shows few symptoms and can only be detected by an eye care specialist; if left undiagnosed and untreated, it can cause blindness.
The challenges of delivering eye care in Solomon Islands reflect those across other Pacific nations. Much of the population is geographically isolated from health care services, including eye care, making access difficult for many people. Low ratios of doctors and nurses to the population, limited health infrastructure, and environmental vulnerability add to the difficulty of receiving essential eye care.
One operation can change a life, but the transformation of eye care will change many. That’s why responding to the challenges of avoidable blindness and vision impairment in Solomon Islands takes more than surgery alone. We support the training of local eye doctors and nurses, and the strengthening of the local eye healthcare systems in Solomon Islands.
The country has five eye doctors, four of whom are Foundation-sponsored graduates. Of the country’s 36 eye nurses, 32 are Foundation-sponsored graduates and work in various locations throughout the country.
The Regional Eye Centre is located at the National Referral Hospital in Honiara, and provides high-quality eye care to patients from across the country. The centre’s construction was supported by The Foundation and, upon opening in 2015, ownership was transferred to the Solomon Islands Government. Designed and built to be sustainable and climate-resilient, the centre is managed and run by the Ministry of Health and a local eye care team
The Fred Hollows Foundation NZ is a registered charitable organisation under the Charities Act 2005.
Charities Commission registration number is CC23722.
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