The Fred Hollows Foundation is inspired by the work of the late Professor Fred Hollows (1929–1993).
Fred was an eye doctor, a skilled surgeon of international renown and a social justice activist. Fred was committed to improving the health of Indigenous Australians and to reducing the cost of eye health care and treatment in developing countries.
The Foundation was established in Sydney in 1992, five months before Fred passed away, with the aim of continuing and expanding on the program work he had started in Eritrea, Vietnam and Indigenous Australia. The Foundation now works throughout Africa, Asia (South and South East) and Australia, focusing on blindness prevention and Australian Indigenous health.
The Company has the following objects (among others):
- To develop, facilitate, provide, fund and advocate for appropriate, accessible and affordable eye health services in Australia and Developing Countries, and additional improved health outcomes for Australian Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander individuals and communities.
- To work both singly and with partners who share our vision to build comprehensive, high quality and sustainable eye health systems for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians and individuals in Developing Countries, with a focus on ensuring that local socio-economic, cultural, political and other circumstances are addressed in project and system design, delivery and evaluation.
