Vision Action (formerly Vision Aid Overseas) is an international non-governmental organisation (NGO) and UK-registered charity that works to improve access to eye care services, primarily in Sub-Saharan Africa.^[1]

Vision Action was founded in 1987 as Vision Aid Overseas by Brian Ellis (optometrist) MBE, following earlier volunteering work he did in Tanzania in 1985.^[2]

In its early years, the organisation focused on providing eye examinations and distributing low-cost and recycled spectacles using UK churches, clubs and HM Prisons to sort and repair the spectacles.^[3]

From the early 2000s, its work expanded to include longer-term programme delivery and the establishment of permanent eye care facilities, including a vision centre in Ethiopia in 2003.^[4]

The organisation discontinued the distribution of second-hand spectacles in 2010 in line with sector guidance.^[5]

Vision Aid Overseas has been featured in BBC Radio 4 charity appeals, including broadcasts in 2010, 2016 and 2020, highlighting its work in improving access to eye care.^[6][7][8]

Vision Aid Overseas partnered with optical retailer Specsavers on programmes in Zambia, including support for optometry training and the establishment of vision centres.^[9]

In 2013, the organisation received funding from the UK Department for International Development (DFID) for eye care programmes in Ethiopia.^[10]

In March 2018, Vision Aid Overseas held a parliamentary event at the UK House of Commons titled Vision Matters: Leave No-One Behind, hosted in Parliament by British politician Henry Smith MP, bringing together parliamentarians, international development organisations and private sector representatives to advocate for improved access to eye care.^[11]

In 2021, the UK activities of Optometry Giving Sight were transferred to Vision Aid Overseas.^[12]

In 2022, the organisation adopted the name Vision Action.^[13]

In 2023, Vision for a Nation Foundation transferred its programmes and assets to Vision Action.^[14][15]

Vision Action works on eye health programmes delivered in partnership with governments and local organisations. Its activities focus on strengthening public eye‑health systems in low- and middle-income countries.

The organisation’s programme model includes expanding primary eye care delivery for in community and health settings, school-based screening programmes, and the training of health professionals and teachers to deliver eye care.^[16]

Programmes also include eye health community awareness initiatives, continuing professional development for optometrists, and support for referral systems and specialised services.^[17]

The organisation collaborates with governments, non-governmental organisations, and private sector partners, and supports the development of vision centres and eye care infrastructure.^[18]

Its work has been covered in professional publications including the Association of Optometrists and the College of Optometrists, describing its programmes in eye health training and service delivery.^[19][20]

In its strategy to 2030, Vision Action states that its work is aligned with global eye health initiatives, including the World Health Organization’s World Report on Vision and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.^[21]

Eye health has been recognised as contributing to multiple Sustainable Development Goals, including those relating to health, education, and social inequality.^[22]

Vision Action is listed in international development directories such as Devex and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) members’ directory.^[23][24]

Programmes associated with Vision Action have contributed to research on eye health systems, including school-based vision screening, published in academic journals such as BMC Health Services Research.^[25][26]

• Official website