Kathmandu, September 3

The Fred Hollows Foundation celebrated its 25th anniversary at Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology today.

According to a press release issued by TIO, the foundation that started as a small Australian charity to continue the legacy of late Prof Fred Hollows has become an international organisation, which works in more than 25 countries, including Nepal, and has restored sight to over two million people.

The foundation has been working in partnership with TIO in Nepal since 1994. Prof Fred visited Nepal, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, India and Bangladesh on behalf of the World Health Organisation in 1985 and met Nepali eye surgeon Dr Sanduk Ruit.

“His experience motivated  Fred to find a new way to drastically reduce the cost of eye care in developing countries and, with his friend Dr Ruit, he helped establish factories in Nepal to produce low cost intraocular lenses,” read the release.

Dr Ruit, who is currently in Australia for the foundation’s 25th anniversary, said the partnership between the foundation and TIO was as strong as ever. “We spent endless evenings trying to solve a problem very close to our hearts — how to bring high-quality cataract surgery to people who had no hope of affording it,” he said.

On the occasion, Dr Reeta Gurung, CEO at TIO, highlighted the achievements made by the foundation in association with TIO in Nepal.

CEO of the foundation Brian Dolan said, “The foundation has grown from a small Australian charity to a truly international development organisation that has restored sight to more than two million people in some of the poorest countries in the world. It is a sad fact that 32.4 million people in the world are blind and four out of five them don’t need to be, so there is still much work to be done.”

Founding director of the foundation Gabi Hollows said, “It’s bitter-sweet that Fred is not around us as he would be absolutely amazed by achievements over the past 25 years and how his legacy has changed the lives of millions.”