Fiji

The Republic of Fiji is an incredibly diverse, colorful island nation in the South Pacific. The country consists of 330 islands, only 110 of which are inhabited, and is spread out over 7,100 square miles (18,300 km). Most of the population lives on the two largest islands, Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. For Fijians living outside of these major islands, medical and vision care is highly inaccessible. Visiting an eye clinic might require traveling from one island to another via ferry, creating additional financial and logistical challenges for patients.

With about 900,000 people in the entire nation, Fiji’s population is slightly smaller than that of Austin, Texas. However, only seven ophthalmologists serve all 110 inhabited islands. Tens of thousands of residents suffer from blindness, most of which is caused by cataracts. Since most of the population subsists on agriculture and natural resource extraction, blindness is a particularly serious disability.