Since 2019, support from The Hon. Dr. Vivienne Poy has helped create four community-based vision centres that provide direct access to high-quality primary eye care services for hundreds of thousands of people throughout Nawabganj, Debidwar, Nilphamari and Ghoraghat districts in Bangladesh.
The Hon. Dr. Vivienne Poy
The Hon. Dr. Vivienne Poy is a Director Emeritus of Orbis Canada and a long-time generous supporter of Orbis's work around the world. Most recently, this support has focused on creating women-led green vision centres in rural areas of Bangladesh.
Led by women, the vision centres have created access to affordable primary eye care (including eye screening, refraction, treatment, eye health education and advanced treatment referral) in remote communities where these services did not previously exist. This is especially true for women and girls, a particularly vulnerable population in rural communities throughout Bangladesh. Women and girls often face countless barriers related to traditional, cultural and religious gender roles and expectations that can make accessing eye care extremely challenging or even impossible.
Thanks to the support of The Hon. Dr. Vivienne Poy, we are working to create a lasting legacy of high-quality, community-based primary eye care across Bangladesh, ensuring millions of people have the opportunity for a better, healthier life free from the burden of poor vision.
