The Eye Foundation of America conducts its global work in three ways:
Service
Service is simply eye care delivery—the most visible part of the what we do. It ranges from conducting eye examinations to performing eye surgery that restores sight or corrects vision problems. Service may be delivered in an eye camp that travels to a remote area near a patient's home. Some patients are transported to hospitals for treatment and crucial follow-up care. Others visit the eye hospitals we have built near their homes.
The conditions we treat most often are:
- Strabismus, also sometimes called "crossed eyes."
- Cataracts. While we may think of cataracts as an age-related problem, many children in developing countries are born with them.
- Corneal Dystrophy, or scarring of the cornea, may be caused by repeated infection, disease, or other irritation and may require a corneal transplant.
Education/Training
We provide a wide range of training opportunities for medical students, physicians, and medical personnel from all over the world. We sponsor workshops and offer fellowships, for example. We provide training for local individuals to assist and pay them to staff our hospitals--or work elsewhere if they choose. To learn more about these programs, visit the Medical Education page.
Research
Research allows us to treat large numbers of people efficiently without sacrificing quality. Through research, we examine new treatment methods or analyze the distribution of services so that we know how to get care to those who need it most. It helps us prioritize our work and deliver our services in the most cost-effective manner. For information about specific research projects, see the Projects page.
