Black & White Charity Ball for the Pacific Eye Institute

This year's Black & White Charity Ball set their sights on the Pacific Eye Institute.

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The PEI was established in Suva, Fiji in 2006 in response to the growing need to increase and sustain locally trained ophthalmologists and eye care nurses in Fiji and the Pacific.

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PEI is fundamental to the health and wellbeing of Fijian nationals. In 2023 alone, approximately 19,000 screenings and 1,570 surgeries were conducted at the CWM Eye Clinic at PEI. This included 18 children who had pediatric cataract, a cause of treatable childhood blindness.

To date PEI has supported the training of 372 ophthalmic clinicians, with 70% of this total workforce actively delivering eye care. In Fiji, there are currently 11 Ophthalmologists, 7 Eye Doctors, 54 eye care nurses and 4 eye care technicians practicing because of this training.

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For the first time in the Pacific PEI managed to do Vitreo Retinal Surgery to help 76 Diabetic Eye Patients, after screening 9500 patients through The Diabetes Eye clinic and Outreach programme. The mobile eye clinic brings services to the doorsteps of patients around Viti Levu, where they screened approximately 8000 patients and conducted 700 surgeries.

We are honoured to support this life changing work and are happy to share $170,000 was raised for PEI at the B&W Ball. Chaired by Fiji's First Lady, Filomena Katonivere, the ball was held at State House and was the first event there in over 40 years.

We look forward to next year and continuing to support endeavours of impact within the Pacific.

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