Making Blindness History: ophthalmic equipment for cataract surgery in Chihuahua

Objective

Acquire ophthalmic medical equipment to perform cataract surgery for the most vulnerable residents of the state of Chihuahua, Mexico.

Project design

The state of Chihuahua is the largest state in Mexico, with 67 municipalities. The Guerrero Clinic serves 52 of them, with a particular focus on the mountainous (Sierra) region and the Indigenous communities who live there.

As an international project, several districts in the United States have joined Rotary District 4110 in northern Mexico to address this challenge.

Thanks to these combined efforts and the project's long history, specialized eye care is currently provided to about 3,000 people each year, including 800 surgeries, 150 laser treatments for diabetic retinopathy, 1,200 eyeglass fittings, and treatment for glaucoma and other eye diseases.

Beneficiaries

The Rotary Clinic of Guerrero provides services that benefit more than 3,000 families each year, including Tarahumara, Mennonite and mestizo communities, as well as highly vulnerable people with little or no access to medical services.

Sustainability

Service agreements provide the financial resources needed to sustain and operate the clinic in the medium and long term, including agreements with:

• The Government of the State of Chihuahua
• Fundación Cinépolis
• FECHAC (Fundación del Empresariado Chihuahuense)

Partner organizations

• Municipal DIF systems in 52 municipalities
• National and international Rotary clubs

Monitoring and evaluation

Pending.

Implementation year

2026