At KCCO, we believe that sharing practical knowledge is just as powerful as delivering care.
Our growing resource library supports eye care professionals, program managers, policymakers, researchers and educators across Africa with tools designed to strengthen systems, train teams and scale sustainable impact.
Whether you’re developing a national plan, launching a hospital program, or conducting training in remote areas. These resources are built to inform and empower your work.
This policy forum article highlights how improving eye care in Sub-Saharan Africa requires more than clinical training. It argues for the urgent need to build nonclinical management capacity—covering human resources, finances, outreach, and planning—to effectively implement the VISION 2020 goals and eliminate avoidable blindness.
A comprehensive equipment and supply list required for performing 500 posterior chamber intraocular lens (PC IOL) cataract surgeries, including unit costs and suggested suppliers, based on VISION 2020 standards.
This report details childhood blindness outreach efforts in four regions of Madagascar (Analamanga, Vakinankaratra, SAVA, and Atsinanana), supported by KCCO and SEVA Canada. Using trained Key Informants, over 2,000 children were screened across multiple sites. The program provided treatment, glasses, and surgeries for children with visual impairments. Despite logistical challenges and budget overruns for medicine and glasses, the project met or exceeded key objectives and was widely appreciated by communities, health workers, and local leaders.
A comprehensive manual for planning, conducting, and analyzing Rapid Assessments of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB), including survey methodology, field guidelines, and software usage for data collection and reporting.
This document explains cataracts in simple terms, describing it as a clouding of the eye’s natural lens, which leads to decreased vision—similar to looking through a dirty window. It outlines common causes such as aging, trauma, congenital factors, diabetes, and smoking. The document emphasizes that cataract is treatable through a safe and effective surgical procedure where the cloudy lens is replaced with an artificial one. It also details the post-operative care and the importance of follow-up to ensure optimal recovery and vision restoration.
This report summarizes findings from a KCCO-led workshop assessing the cost of eye care outreach services in eastern Africa. It focuses on community-based strategies for identifying and transporting cataract patients for surgery. The study found that outreach costs per cataract patient transported range between $35–45, with total surgery costs averaging around $100 per patient. These insights support VISION 2020 planning by highlighting the importance of budgeting for both outreach and hospital-based services to meet cataract surgery targets.
This review from the explores the evidence supporting task-shifting in eye care, specifically the training and use of non-physician cataract surgeons (NPCS) to address cataract-related blindness in Sub-Saharan Africa. Given the shortage and poor distribution of ophthalmologists, NPCS (often clinical officers or ophthalmic nurses with additional training) have been deployed in several countries to increase access to cataract surgery. The report analyzes their effectiveness, quality of surgical outcomes, patient satisfaction, and productivity, with case studies from Kenya, The Gambia, Tanzania, Malawi, and Ghana. While the evidence shows that NPCS can deliver high-quality surgeries, particularly when well-trained, supervised, and supported, issues such as post-training deployment, resource availability, and systemic health barriers remain challenges. The review concludes that while NPCS are not a universal solution, they are a viable strategy in underserved areas and should be integrated thoughtfully into national eye health programs.
This in-depth review, prepared by the Kilimanjaro Centre for Community Ophthalmology (KCCO), explores the concept of task-shifting in eye care — specifically the training and utilization of non-physician cataract surgeons (NPCS) to address the shortage of ophthalmologists in sub-Saharan Africa. The report presents evidence on the effectiveness, quality, productivity, and acceptance of NPCS based on studies and data from countries including Kenya, Tanzania, The Gambia, Malawi, and Ghana. Findings show that NPCS can deliver acceptable surgical outcomes, especially when trained well, supervised, and supported by strong health systems. However, challenges remain with post-training support, rural deployment, regulatory frameworks, and overall system capacity. The report concludes that while NPCS are a practical solution in some contexts, they must be integrated into well-supported eye health programs to be effective and sustainable.
This report outlines strategies for effective district-level eye health planning in Africa under VISION 2020, emphasizing the use of local data to improve services for conditions like cataract, glaucoma, refractive error, and childhood blindness.
A regional evaluation of the productivity, challenges, and outcomes of cataract surgeons trained in Eastern Africa to support VISION 2020, with recommendations to enhance service delivery, equipment access, and community outreach.