Taking Action Today to Achieve Future Goals

Professional Experience for People with Disabilities

CBM's aim is to serve persons with visual impairment as well as people with other disabilities in developing countries—regardless of their nationality, sex, or religion. The history of CBM goes back to 1908, when the organisation was founded by the German Pastor Ernst Jakob Christoffel. Since then, CBM has become one of the leading professional organisations for people with disabilities worldwide. Currently, CBM supports 1005 projects in 113 countries.

Today, CBM's fields of work cover not only the prevention and cure of blindness, but also the education and rehabilitation of people with physical, mental, or intellectual disabilities. CBM implements its programmes through local partners. The financial resources, know-how, and staff-support enable partners in developing countries to gradually become independent of foreign aid. Ten CBM member countries and major donors provide the funds CBM needs to implement the worldwide programmes.

Overall aims of CBM's overseas work are to:

  • Enable CBM's partners to deliver services in cooperation with disabled people's interest groups,
  • Give people with disability the support they wish,
  • Promote their inclusion, and
  • Raise awareness for their needs


To achieve these aims, CBM cooperates with global institutions and contributes to international campaigns. CBM has been recognised as a professional organisation for people with disabilities by the World Health Organisation and obtained roster consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

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Further information: Read CBM's Annual Report and Facts&Figures on the overseas work
Read more: CBM's Mission Statement and Values
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New publication about cbm's work, vision and values

Cover page of the new publication

We invite you to share our vision to improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities and to reduce the risk of disability from disease and exclusion for those who live in the most disadvantaged societies around the world.

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World Health Organization thanks cbm for its outstanding work

Dr Margaret Chan, Director-General WHO and Dr Allen Foster, cbm President

cbm President Professor Allen Foster met with World Health Organisation Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, for the WHO's global initiative to eliminate avoidable blindness "Vision 2020: The Right to Sight” on the eve of World Sight Day 2007 at the WHO's headquarters in

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Projects worldwide

Projects worldwide