The Central American country of Guatemala is home to nearly 18 million people. With health outcomes well below those of many other countries in Latin America, Guatemalan’s experience a lower life expectancy than much of the region. Rural areas typically have considerably less access to advanced healthcare, with Guatemala’s 25 distinct languages sometimes creating additional barriers to care.
Central Global Vision Foundation works to support the eye care needs of people in underdeveloped areas like Guatemala. Guided by our mission, we provide quality surgery with exceptional outcomes while also ministering to the souls of the patients treated at the clinics we support.
Nigeria is the most-populated African country with nearly 184 million people. It is making strides in its health care system and has established seven medical schools and centers serving urban areas. In more rural regions, however, the need for quality eye care is immense.
Started with an estate grant through Central Global Vision Fund (CGVF), the Zing Eye Centre is committed to filling the gap in eye care for east-central Nigeria. Located in a remote area, the Zing Eye Centre is in great need of ongoing eye equipment, supplies, and medications in order to continue to provide:
CGVF has gathered and shipped ophthalmic equipment and medical supplies to the Zing Eye Centre. In addition, we have supported teams that visit in-country to ensure our sponsored facilities and equipment are in good repair.
Zing Eye Centre is developing an aggressive outreach program in remote areas of Nigeria with the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness including cataracts, glaucoma, onchocerciasis (river blindness), and other related diseases. Patients are screened in their home village and, if medical treatment is needed, they are brought to the local eye hospital, housed, and fed while they recover from medical treatment.
Zimbabwe, a country of more than 15 million people in southern Africa, was once considered the “bread basket” of Africa due to its rich agricultural environment. But, due to changes in the the structure of farm ownership, many in the country have suffered economically. Although Zimbabwe has several modern eye care facilities, especially in the capital Harare, the need for professional eye care remains great in rural regions. According to the International Council of Ophthamology, there were only 26 ophthalmologists in Zimbabwe in 2012.
Aware of this need, Central Global Vision Fund (CGVF) established an eye clinic with surgical facilities at a district hospital in Mutambara in 2006.
The hospital in Mutambara is equipped with a full complement of eye instruments including slit lamps, Zeiss operating microscopes, Ascan, Javal ophthalmometer, ophthalmoscopes, and complete sets of eye instruments. CGVF has gathered and shipsped ophthalmic equipment and medical supplies to Mutambara and has supported teams that have visited in-country to ensure the facilities and equipment were in good repair.
The hospital in Mutambara is developing an aggressive outreach program in remote areas of Zimbabwe with the goal of eliminating avoidable blindness including cataracts, glaucoma, onchocerciasis (river blindness), and other related diseases. Patients are screened in their home village and, if medical treatment is needed, they are brought to the local eye hospital, housed, and fed while they recover from medical treatment.