Tanzania

Together with KCCO and donor support, Seva Canada has helped hospitals across Tanzania double or triple the number of sight-restoring surgeries they perform.
Our funding supports eye care access across nine Tanzanian regions: Mara, Kagera, Arusha, Manyara, Kilimanjaro, Singida, Mbeya, Bugando, and Dodoma.

Eye Units in Public Hospitals
In the Mara, Kagera, Singida, Mbeya and Dodoma regions, we fund eye units embedded in public hospitals. Our support covers surgical services and the associated costs that can prevent patients from accessing care, including transportation, lodging, consumables, and medicines.

We also support community outreach programs to ensure patients who need care are identified and can access it.

Community Outreach Through Women’s Microfinance Groups
One key outreach approach is working with existing women’s microfinance groups. These groups are already active in their communities, providing members with additional income and social support. We train them to deliver eye care messages and influence health-seeking behaviour within their villages.

Microfinance workers collaborate with outreach workers to organize screening camps and encourage community attendance. This approach has proven effective at increasing the number of women and girls receiving eye care.

Pediatric Eye Care
In the Mbeya, Bugando, Arusha and Kilimanjaro regions, we support comprehensive pediatric eye care programs. Children with untreated vision problems face significant barriers to education and development, and many conditions are most effectively treated early.

These programs are staffed by full-time pediatric ophthalmologists who perform sight-saving surgeries and procedures. Care is provided free of charge or at highly subsidized rates so that cost is not a barrier to treatment.

Ophthalmology Training
We support two ophthalmology residency programs in Tanzania. Our support ensures that each resident performs enough supervised surgeries to be fully skilled when they graduate.
Our support continues after graduation. We sponsor experienced ophthalmologists from the region to visit new doctors at their first postings, providing observation and additional guidance as they begin independent practice. This helps new ophthalmologists build confidence and deliver high-quality care to the communities they serve.

Research
We also provide KCCO with funding for research projects aimed at improving the quality and reach of eye care services in Tanzania.