The Fred Hollows Foundation

🌍✨ Exciting News on Gender Justice in Global Health! The Lancet Commission on Gender and Global Health highlights that achieving gender justice is crucial for advancing health equity and realizing universal rights. By tackling the root causes of gender-based discrimination, we can improve health outcomes, reduce inequities, and create more inclusive workplaces in global health. However, progress has been lacking, with confusion around gender concepts leading to inadequate representation in policies and practices. From an eye health perspective, entrenched bias #3 in the report suggests that gender has little impact on health outcomes, despite substantial evidence of health inequities across various conditions. While the emphasis on women's reproductive health is important, it often overlooks the broader implications of gender on overall health (including importantly for us The Fred Hollows Foundation, eye health). To harness the full benefits of addressing these disparities, the report advocates for a gender-justice approach in developing policies and programs across all health areas, including eye health, where women are disproportionately affected. Let’s drive this crucial conversation forward! #GenderJustice #GlobalHealth #EyeHealth #HealthEquity #GenderJustice #GlobalHealth #HealthEquity #LancetCommission

As I step down today as CEO after seven incredible years at The Fred Hollows Foundation, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who supported our vision and purpose during this time – supporters, colleagues, partners and friends. It has been a privilege to have your support. It has enabled us to restore sight to millions and ensure access to eye care for people who would otherwise have been left behind. Since I started at The Foundation in 2018, another million sight saving eye operations and treatments, trained tens of thousands of health workers, and played a key role in eliminating trachoma in several countries. I have also had the great privilege to meet some of the people whose sight you have restored and seen the life-changing effect of your generosity. There is nothing quite like seeing the joy on the face of someone who was blind when the patch is removed and they can see their loved-ones faces again. The Foundation is in great hands, and I’m excited to see it continue to grow under the leadership of incoming CEO Ross Piper. This last two weeks have been about ticking off final lists in our careful CEO transition process - welcome new CEO - tick - onboard and handover - tick - introduce new CEO to key stakeholders - well underway With more than 1 billion people around the world still living with some form of vision loss, our work is more important than ever. I know you’ll continue to stand with us to make a difference and give new CEO Ross Piper the same fantastic support.

🌍 It has been three weeks since I returned from the Commission on the Status of Women (#CSW/+30Beijing) in New York. Typically, I would have shared a post right away about the weeks activities, but during a thought-provoking #IWD session hosted by the #AmericanAustralianAssociation, Elizabeth Broderick AO emphasized the importance of self-care for all of us, especially for women balancing busy lives and caregiving responsibilities. I decided to embrace that wisdom by allowing myself the space to reflect. The week was incredible, with our official #CSW side event being a personal highlight. Co-sponsored by the Permanent Missions to the United Nations of Antigua and Barbuda, Bangladesh, Ireland and the UK along with UN Women, #FriendsOfVision and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), 'Leave No Woman Behind: Advancing Eye Health Equity for Women and Girls' was a hustle of positive energy. As the Duchess of Edinburgh shared in her keynote address, the solution to many eye health issues is straightforward: a brief 20-minute cataract operation or a simple pair of glasses can restore sight. As The Fred Hollows Foundation investment case found, #EyeHealth is undeniably one of the most cost-effective interventions in healthcare, delivering a remarkable economic return of $20.50 for every $1 invested. As always, #CSW was bustling, but this year, the atmosphere felt particularly heavy with uncertainty and anxiety. We heard a collective call to action to mobilize and resist the regressions of rights happening globally, yet the path forward felt unclear. Despite that, I sensed an undeniable collective strength and determination to fight for what is right. In my role advocating for the rights of women and girls to access eye health equity, as well as championing the increase of female leaders in health, I felt a renewed sense of purpose. We cannot allow the regression of rights worldwide to hinder the delivery of eye care services to women and girls, who are disproportionately affected by eye health issues compared to their male counterparts. Together, let us remain steadfast in our commitment to ensure that everyone, regardless of gender, has access to the eye care they deserve. #EyeHealth #GenderEquity #CSW2025 #Leadership #WomenInHealth Huge thanks to Brooke Blanchard, Andrea T. Sanseverino Galan and Lauren Ramos for all their work behind the scenes with me making the side event happen. Photo credit: Sarah Merians

Join Fred's old mate Dr Sanduk Ruit as he gives us a tour of the new eye hospital in Nepal that was made possible thanks to our supporters like you... #eyehealth #Nepal ping Nepal Eye Program - Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology (Official Page)

Meet Ian Wishart, 2025 Alum of the Year 🎉. As CEO of The Fred Hollows Foundation, Ian’s work has touched millions of lives across more than 30 countries, restoring sight and improving lives in disadvantaged communities 🌍👀. His career in humanitarian development spans leadership roles at Plan International and World Vision Australia, where he championed child rights and led life-saving aid programs 🧑🤝🧑. An ANU alum with a background in science 🎓, Ian’s leadership in global development has been transformative, especially during emergency relief efforts in Ethiopia, Cambodia, South Sudan, Rwanda, and Indonesia 🌏. Ian’s lifelong dedication to social justice and global change is nothing short of inspiring. Discover more about his remarkable impact and legacy: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gzF-baby The Australian National University #GlobalDevelopment #HumanitarianImpact #SocialJustice #AlumOfTheYear #Awards #Achievements #Internationaldiplomacy

Join us in celebrating the strength of women's leadership in eye health, as shown by people such as Dr Guo Xiao Bing from the Dorbod Banner People's Hospital ophthalmology department in Inner Mongolia. Dr Guo plays a key role in a joint project between us and Chaoju Eye Group. The project – supported by the National Foundation for Australian-China Relations (NFACR) – addresses common eye problems in Dorbod Banner like cataract, refractive error and seasonal eye diseases caused by dry and harsh weather conditions. The Foundation is training the hospital's eye doctors, nurses and refractionists, improving their skills and knowledge. The project supported training on laser treatment for diabetic retinopathy and monthly hands-on sessions for Dr Guo and equipped the hospital with new equipment, with the aim of empowering the hospital to provide eye care for diabetes patients at the county level. "I hope that through more training opportunities, our team will be able to perform surgery independently and be able to treat eye diseases locally, right at the patients' doorstep." For more information about the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations (NFACR) 澳中基金会 visit their website at https://brnw.ch/21wRHzi #australiachinafoundation #eyehealth #China

Congratulations to our outgoing CEO Ian Wishart for his recognition as 2025 The Australian National University Alumni of the Year! READ his great words of acceptance below... #university #alumni #charity ping ANU Alumni

#AUKE60YEARS Celebrating 60 years of Australia and Kenya diplomatic relations. In East Africa, a significant majority of blindness cases can be avoided or addressed through simple and affordable interventions. Since 1992, The Fred Hollows Foundation, founded by the late New Zealand-Australian ophthalmologist Fred Hollows, has restored the eyesight of countless individuals across Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania & Ethiopia and increased access to equitable cataract services. His life dedication to ending avoidable blindness and improving eye health, especially for marginalised communities, continues through his foundation. For more stories about our shared history, visit our Facebook gallery: bit.ly/3XsQYiq *** kuadhimisha miaka 60 ya kidiplomasia kati ya Australia na Kenya. Katika Afrika Mashariki, idadi kubwa ya visa vya upofu vinaweza kuepukwa au kushughulikiwa kupitia afua rahisi na zinazoweza kumudu. Tangu mwaka wa 1992, The Fred Hollows Foundation , ulioanzishwa na marehemu daktari wa macho wa New Zealand-Australia Fred Hollows, umerejesha uwezo wa kuona wa watu wengi kote Eritrea, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Tanzania & Ethiopia na kuongeza upatikanaji wa huduma sawa za mtoto wa jicho. Kujitolea kwake katika kukomesha upofu unaoweza kuepukwa na kuboresha afya ya macho, haswa katika jamii zilizotengwa, kunaendelea kwa kupitia taasisi yake. Kwa hadithi zaidi kuhusu historia yetu, tembelea mtandao wetu wa kijamii ya Facebook: bit.ly/3XsQYiq The Fred Hollows Foundation Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade

Another milestone in the effort to end avoidable blindness in our region... #Pacific #eyehealth #endTrachoma

We welcome the Australian Government’s commitment to international development in last night's Budget. At a time when global humanitarian efforts have been curbed, the Australian Government has committed more than $5 billion in Official Development Assistance, three-quarters of which will flow to the Indo-Pacific. We welcome the Government's commitment to humanitarian funding, which will build more resilient health systems in the region and safeguard Australia's security and prosperity. Countries in the Indo-Pacific have alarming rates of blindness and vision impairment because of preventable conditions like cataract, and people face increasing poverty unless neighbours like Australia offer support. 📷: Lombok surgical outreach eye camp in Indonesia, 2022. #auspol #budget #Australia #IndoPacific #eyehealth #ANCP ping Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade