The World Health Organisation estimates that 90% of blind people live in developing countries yet 80% of those affected suffer needlessly because their blindness is treatable and/or preventable. Indeed, the restoration of sight, and blindness prevention strategies are among the most cost-effective interventions in health care. Moorfields has a long history of involvement in research and training in Africa. Reflecting the teaching and training aspect of its mission statement, the hospital, in partnership with the Lions Clubs International, has committed to establishing a purpose-built eye unit and training facility at Ghana’s largest teaching hospital and primary tertiary referral centre. When completed, the centre will provide a resource for the treatment of all eye disease, while enabling eye specialists from across West Africa to be trained in safe and high volume surgery to help eliminate cataract blindness and deliver sight saving treatments for glaucoma and trachoma, in addition to many other eye diseases. As such it provides the means to raise the standard of eye care significantly, while increasing the number of adults and children treated for eye disease. Offering training locally, also avoids the need for expensive travel, improving staff retention in the area. Two week residential courses will provide extensive hands-on training for a single operative procedure in sub-specialist subjects such as cataract, glaucoma and lid surgery. Where facilities exist for surgeons to return and undertake the procedures locally, training will be given in vitreo-retinal and other more specialist surgical areas. A grant from the International Health Links Funding Scheme, funded by DoH and DfID, will enable surgical training to begin being piloted from later this year, using temporary facilities. The initial focus will be on developing a basic surgical training course which all trainees will be required to complete, as well as trialling courses in cataract and trabeculectomy and developing training for the correction of refractive error. Moorfields is working closely with a with a number of local organisations and other stakeholders who are committed to helping establish the centre and ensure its ongoing success. Over 80% of the £3m fundraising goal to develop this facility and meet the costs associated with conducting the capital campaign has been pledged, largely from just a handful of donors. It is hoped that construction can commence at the beginning of 2011, assuming a successful completion of their fundraising campaign. Please call 020 7566 2416 or email rob.aldous@moorfields.nhs.uk for further information or to arrange a meeting.