Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister for International Co-operation HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani with  ambassador  Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, QDF general director Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari, the Countess of Wessex and IAPB patron, Princess Sophie, and Orbis’s special envoy to the Middle East, Robert Walters, at the signing ceremony in London.

Millions of children suffering from serious sight problems are set to undergo life-changing treatment, thanks to a $8mn donation from the Qatar Development Fund (QDF) to eye-care organisations which are part of the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
The joint “Qatar Creating Vision” initiative will fund surgical operations, support health centres and supply high-quality medical services in the developing world.
Contributing to the initiative will be an alliance of doctors from around the world, including Qatari doctors specialising in ophthalmology and world leading vision experts who volunteer for Orbis, an international blindness prevention charity, part of the IAPB. In addition, a number of Qatari youth volunteers will  look to support the project.
The initiative was cemented with the signing of an agreement at the Qatari embassy in London on Thursday between QDF general director Khalifa bin Jassim al-Kuwari and Orbis’s special envoy to the Middle East, Robert Walters.
Speaking on the occasion, al-Kuwari stated that Qatar had a long-standing commitment to driving forward a wide range of initiatives that will strengthen healthcare provision both in Qatar and throughout the world.
“Many people take vision for granted and do not realise how significant eye problems can be, particularly for children in the developing world. This vital initiative provides us with an opportunity to help children in countries like Nepal, India and Bangladesh whose citizens have helped realise our own vision of a modern Qatar.”
Walters described that the QDF would transform the lives of millions of people in the developing world, creating sight where previously only darkness prevailed. “Qatar Creating Vision is a remarkable philanthropic agreement that will enable the world’s most disadvantaged people to fulfil their lives.”
Amongst those attending the signing ceremony were Qatar’s Assistant Foreign Minister for International Co-operation HE Sheikh Mohamed bin Abdulrahman al-Thani, Qatar’s ambassador to the UK Yousef bin Ali al-Khater, the Countess of Wessex and IAPB patron Princess Sophie and a number of senior officials from the QDF and Orbis.
Princess Sophie observed that Qatar’s support would enable IAPB and its partners to have significant impact on their mission to eradicate avoidable blindness in the developing world.
The QDF, on behalf of  Qatar, is responsible for the implementation of international development programmes through the provision of loans, grants and technical assistance to developing countries and key charities.
Orbis programmes focus on the prevention of blindness and the treatment of blinding eye diseases in developing countries. Since 1982, Orbis capacity-building programmes have enhanced the skills of 325,000 eye care personnel and provided medical and optical treatment to more than 23.3mn people in 92 countries.
Orbis operates the world’s only Flying Eye Hospital, a fully equipped mobile teaching hospital on board a DC-10 aircraft. The plane features a 48-seat classroom where trainees are able to view live broadcasts of eye-operations, transmitted direct from the on-board operation room.