Lions Foundation Collaborates with CBM to Improve Eye Health Services in Ethiopia

The Lions Foundation Germany (Stiftung der Deutschen Lions - SDL) is collaborating with CBM to support Cheshire Ethiopia in providing comprehensive eye care services in Ethiopia, particularly in the Addis Ababa, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples and Amhara regions. This project strengthens health systems by training eye health professionals and equipping eye health centres with the necessary equipment, instruments and supplies for treatment and community outreach.

In February, CBM and SDL handed over equipment and consumables for an optical workshop, and an outreach vehicle to Cheshire Ethiopia. This is part of a project worth almost € 600,000: Provision of Comprehensive Eye Healthcare Services in Ethiopia.

Cheshire Ethiopia, a non-profit organisation, provides orthopaedic and social rehabilitation services to children and persons with disabilities and improves access to basic eye care services, especially in remote communities.

CBM and Cheshire Ethiopia have been working together for over three decades. The partnership focuses on inclusion and empowerment of persons with disabilities. They aim to improve lives through community-based inclusive development (CBID) and rehabilitation.

The donated equipment, including lenses, frames and consumables, will enable Cheshire Ethiopia to set up an optical workshop focused on providing comprehensive eye care services and generating sustainable income. These efforts are in line with the goal of creating long-term and sustainable solutions for eye health. Cheshire Ethiopia and CBM will work together to develop efficient operational systems for the workshop to maximise its impact.

The collaboration between CBM, SDL and Cheshire Ethiopia goes beyond donations and emphasises the importance of community structures in promoting eye health. Cheshire Ethiopia's participation in the national eye care cluster project, supported by a grant from BMZ, represents a significant expansion of their role in Inclusive Eye Health (IEH). Together with CBM's ongoing technical support to various eye care partners in Ethiopia, this project represents a unified approach to improving accessibility and inclusion in eye care.