Cambodia
Cambodia has a population of nearly 17 million people an estimated 2.3 million of which have vision loss, 110,000 of whom are blind (2020).
We have supported eye care in Cambodia since 2000 through our Seva Cambodia office.
Seva Cambodia focuses on training and enhancing the capacity of Eye Units in provincial government hospitals, Community Eye Centres, and through community outreach programs that provide surgery, glasses, and medicine. Our funds are concentrated in Banteay Meanchey and Battambang Provinces.
In 2023, Seva Cambodia received four awards from the King and Prime Minister, recognizing their contributions to the development of the eye health sector. This well-deserved honour highlights the staff’s impact and the national government’s growing support of eye health initiatives. Recently, the Cambodian government began sharing financial responsibility for eye patients with Seva (70% Seva, 30% government), marking a step towards financial sustainability for Cambodian Eye Units.
Banteay Meanchey Eye Unit
The Seva Canada-supported Banteay Meanchey Eye Unit offers clinical services, a community ophthalmology program, and two Community Eye Centres. Clinical services focus on high-quality surgery for cataracts and pterygium, a common eye condition among outdoor workers that impairs vision.
The community ophthalmology program employs two full-time field workers who travel to remote, rural areas to find and screen patients in need of care and arrange referrals to surgical camps or the base hospital. We cover the cost of medicine, supplies, and transportation to and from the Eye Unit for patients who cannot afford care. The program also supports school screenings to identify children in need of eye care and to connect them with the available resources.
The Community Eye Centre program includes three centres: two in Banteay Meanchey and one in Battambang. These permanent facilities are open six days a week, and are staffed by trained ophthalmic and refraction nurses who diagnose and treat various vision issues. Glasses and medicines are provided on-site, and patients needing further diagnosis or treatment are referred to the nearest government eye unit.
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