Haiti

Population: ~11.5 million
Estimated Number of Ophthalmologists: Fewer than 60 nationwide.

Haiti faces significant challenges in access to eye care, with a limited ophthalmology workforce serving a population of more than 11 million people. Barriers including economic hardship, geographic constraints, infrastructure limitations, and workforce shortages contribute to preventable vision loss across the country.

In response to these needs, Dr. Ana Bastos de Carvalho, director of the University of Kentucky Global Ophthalmology Division, established a long-term academic partnership in Port-au-Prince with Hôpital de l’Université d’État d’Haiti and Hôpital Grace Children’s Hospital. Through these collaborations, started in 2017, Dr. Bastos co-directs and supports both ophthalmology residency training programs in Haiti, with a focus on sustainable capacity building, curriculum reform, and structured surgical and medical education.

Our work emphasizes strengthening Haiti’s ophthalmology workforce from within. Rather than short-term service missions, this partnership centers on education, mentorship, program development, and systems improvement — equipping Haitian ophthalmologists with the training and institutional support needed to deliver high-quality care in their communities.