This project is supoorted by L'OCCITANE en Provence Switzerland.
Context
In Burkina Faso, visual impairment affects 25% of the total population (4.75 million people in a population of 19 million), and that population is still growing. The need for eye treatments is currently increasing more quickly than the ability to train and deploy eye healthcare professionals. There were 35 ophthalmologists1 in the country in 2017, and only 7 of them worked outside of Ouagadougou and Bobo Dioulasso (the two largest cities in Burkina Faso). This means that in rural areas, where 75% of the population live, there is fewer than one ophthalmologist per 2 million people2, which make access to eye healthcare not just very difficult, but almost impossible. In addition, at primary and community levels, where most eye diseases can be prevented or treated, health workers still have very little knowledge on the subject and often lack insurance and equipment.
1Training for four of them was financed by L'OCCITANE between 2012 and 2017.
2The World Health Organisation recommends one ophthalmologist per 250,000 people.
Supported Project
In 2022-2023, L'OCCITANE Switzerland supports the project of Optique Solidaire which aim is to train local people of the Bezega region for them to have full autonomy in solving optic, optometry, and ophthalmology problems.
The project, in partnershi with local organisations, will give the priority to school-aged children so that their vision issues will not be an obstacle to pursuing their education.
Some Figures
Budget 5,000 euros
Goal 46,785 beneficiaries
History of the Partnership
Project supported since 2019
In 2019, L'OCCITANE Switzerland and the Foundation started their partnership with Optique Solidaire to support its project aiming to improve eye health services in Burkina Faso. Initially, it was about training professionals in the fitting of glasses and to carry out eye exams. These people were then able to provide a quality service in optics, optometry and ophthalmology by carrying out visual acuity screenings and eye examinations, as well as offering corrective glasses and/or eye care to populations with little access to them.
