Organization: Helen Keller International

All Photos The mission of Helen Keller International is to save the sight and lives of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged. We combat the causes and consequences of blindness and malnutrition by establishing programs based on evidence and research in vision, health and nutrition.

Focus Areas:	Children, Disaster Relief, Economic Development, Education, Health, Poverty, Gender & Equality
Countries Served:	All 22 countries: Bangladesh Burkina Faso Congo, The Democratic Republic of The Cote D'Ivoire Cameroon China Guinea Indonesia Cambodia Mali Myanmar Mozambique Niger Nigeria Nepal Philippines Sierra Leone Senegal Tanzania, United Republic of United States Viet Nam Zimbabwe   Summary by region: Asia Africa Northern America

Description of Services:
Helen Keller International's programs combat malnutrition, cataract, trachoma, onchocerciasis (river blindness) and refractive error. The goal of all of our programs is to reduce suffering of those without access to needed health or vision care and, ultimately, to help lift people from poverty. HKI is known for sustainability, reliability, efficiency, and the highest level of technical expertise in fighting and treating blindness and malnutrition. The hallmark of the organization's work is its proven effectiveness in developing, testing and scaling-up health interventions, and integrating them within government and community structures.
History:
Founded by George Kessler in 1915 with Helen Keller as a founding trustee, HKI is among the oldest international nonprofit organizations devoted to fighting and treating preventable blindness and malnutrition. From a small but ambitious beginning helping soldiers blinded in World War I, we have grown into an organization that helps millions of people in Africa, Asia and the U.S. In the 1970s, the agency shifted its focus to blindness prevention, with emphasis on childhood blindness, the principal cause of which was, and remains, vitamin A deficiency (VAD). HKI's VAD programs led to the recognition that VAD is a major contributor to childhood death. This led to HKI's programs to prevent malnutrition as well as blindness.
Accomplishments & Progress:
2007-EYE HEALTH ASIA-PACIFIC Cataract surgery restores sight to 5,829 people in 4 countries. AFRICA 3.9 million treatments of Mectizan® to control onchocerciasis are distributed in 5 countries. THE AMERICAS ChildSight® screens its one-millionth child in 2007 in the U.S. 2007-NUTRITION ASIA-PACIFIC A successful pilot program tailoring Homestead Food Production for people living with HIV/AIDS implemented AFRICA 32 million vitamin A capsules reached children aged 6-59 months through HKI programs in Africa; most received other interventions such as de-worming at the same time