Pakistan Eye Bank Society: PEBS Screens More Than 60,000 Schoolchildren in Vision Care Drive
Charity launches the second phase of its school eye screening programme after detecting vision problems in nearly one in four children.
PEBS celebrates the completion of its school eye screening programme and launches the next phase.
Pakistan Eye Bank Society (PEBS) has completed the first phase of its school eye screening programme, examining more than 60,000 children from underprivileged communities, and has launched a second phase that aims to screen 120,000 students over the next year.
PEBS marked the achievement during a ceremony at its hospital in Karachi on 16 July. Germany’s Consul General, Thomas Schultze, attended the event as chief guest alongside school principals, teachers, students and supporters of the organisation.
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PEBS President Qazi Sajid Ali said the organisation has worked to prevent blindness in Pakistan since 1968. He noted that the society has performed more than 16,000 corneal transplant surgeries, secured over 36,000 corneal pledges and provided healthcare services to more than 12 million patients through hospitals and outreach programmes.
He said the school eye screening initiative began after PEBS signed a memorandum of understanding with Rotary Club Heidelberg-Schloss in Germany in May 2025 to provide sponsored eye screening services for schoolchildren.
According to PEBS, the programme exceeded its initial target by screening more than 64,500 students in over 250 schools during its first year.
Qazi Sajid Ali described the findings as concerning, revealing that approximately 25% of the children examined had vision defects. He said the results highlight the need for a national policy to strengthen blindness prevention and improve children’s eye health across Pakistan.
In a virtual address, Tobias Dratt of Rotary Club Heidelberg-Schloss said nearly one in four children screened had a vision problem, while 80% of those cases had never been diagnosed previously. He said the programme has given thousands of children the opportunity to study, read and participate more effectively in school.
Consul General Thomas Schultze praised the initiative after observing the school’s eye screening process and formally inaugurated the second phase of the project. The next stage will begin in August 2026, with PEBS aiming to double the programme’s reach to 120,000 schoolchildren within one year.
Founded in 1968, Pakistan Eye Bank Society is a non-profit healthcare organisation and a pioneer of corneal transplantation in Pakistan. In addition to ophthalmology services, PEBS Hospital provides treatment in cardiology, diabetes, dentistry, dialysis and cancer care.
