Description of the programme/ objectives
Vision impairment and blindness remain pressing public health challenges in Tanzania. The Tanzania National Blindness and Visual Impairment Survey indicates that approximately 1.1% of the population is visually impaired, with cataracts emerging as the primary cause of blindness. In response to this critical issue, the Fred Hollows Foundation, in collaboration with the Australian Government through the Australian NGO Cooperation Program (ANCP), initiated the project titled “Increasing Access to Equitable Cataract Services in Four Regions of Tanzania,” spanning from October 2021 to June 2025. The Kilimanjaro Centre for Community Ophthalmology (KCCO) is spearheading the project’s implementation in the target regions.
Description of the services provided/ main activities
Desk review of various documents (including project, policy, and scholarly materials), utilisation of data extraction sheets/ checklists at regional and district levels, key informant interviews with key stakeholders, and focus group discussions with both primary and secondary beneficiaries in one urban and one rural district. Customised purposive and convenience sampling methods will be applied based on participant categories. Quantitative data will undergo simple descriptive analysis using Microsoft Excel, while NVivo software will facilitate management and deductive thematic analysis for qualitative data.
The study will culminate in a comprehensive evaluation report presenting the methods, key findings, recommendations, and lessons learned.