Annual Report 2021: An Eye on the Future

There was much to consider as we looked ahead to the future. Technological innovation is revolutionizing eye care delivery around the globe, unlocking new possibilities for diagnosis, treatment, and advanced clinical training. Governments and major donors are recognizing the importance of universal health coverage and the ability to meet a wider range of healthcare needs at primary care facilities, and they are shifting their focus accordingly. Transformations in the funding landscape for NGOs and fresh opportunities for cross-sector collaboration are opening new opportunities for impact.

Further, even as COVID-19 vaccines, treatments, and more effective prevention methods have helped many communities regain a sense of normalcy, access to these advancements have not been shared equitably across the globe. Many of the countries where we work already struggled with strained health systems and insufficient resources for prioritizing eye care before being hit with a new crisis. The pandemic has thus made the work to end avoidable blindness even harder and more urgent, and we will continue to see those lingering effects for some time.

These trends have made Orbis’s mission more critical than ever before, just as they have made vital our ability to adapt to the changing environment in which we work. Our achievements in this past year are rooted in what we do best: building a legacy of quality eye care to ensure that no one goes blind tomorrow from avoidable causes. And they provide a strong springboard toward what is to come: scaling up our innovation, deepening our focus on equity, and reaching more communities where they need us most.

With your support, we can make these aspirations a reality. Thank you for sharing our vision.

Sincerely,

Derek Hodkey

Cybersight, Orbis’s telemedicine platform, continued to thrive, welcoming more than 15,000 eye care professionals in 2021 alone. The digital community now exceeds 56,000 eye care professionals across 208 countries and regions. While the ongoing growth of Cybersight is itself a testament to the power of the platform, new research conducted among that community quantified anew the value it brings to eye care teams the world over, with 99% of respondents saying Cybersight increased their knowledge and skills and 75% saying Cybersight enabled them to make better informed decisions. The ripple effect of these achievement—improved patient care, restored sight—is nothing short of inspiring.

In this report, you’ll also learn about Orbis's commitment to reaching patients in need, wherever they are, even if that means going door-to-door to deliver antibiotics to fight trachoma, an infectious cause of blindness, or vision screenings for children who would normally receive them in school.

You’ll also see how the organization is tackling the rapid growth of diabetes-related vision loss and a leading cause of childhood blindness by training eye care teams to identify and better treat patients with diabetic retinopathy and retinopathy of prematurity, respectively. You’ll also read about the impact of Orbis’s work in Zambia, where a shortage of eye health workers is being faced head-on through improved residency training and other vital support.

Even as we celebrate these achievements, as Derek mentioned, one of the most exciting opportunities we have now is to look ahead. As Orbis prepares to kick off its new Global Strategic Plan next year, the organization will also celebrate 40 years since the Flying Eye Hospital took its first flight. What’s evident now, and in the legacy that has made Orbis what it is today, is that changing the way the world sees has always called for keeping an eye on the future. Thanks to your support, we continue to embark on new pathways toward a world without avoidable blindness.

Very truly yours,

Kevin McAllister