Cataract is a disease that occurs when the lens of the eye becomes opaque, and are commonly caused by ageing, poor nutrition, prolonged exposure to intense light and eye trauma. There are millions of cataract patients worldwide. Many cataract patients are unable to undergo surgery due to financial constraints and inadequate healthcare services. However, cataracts can be cured with a 15–20 minute operation.

51,000 examinations and 86,000 screenings were carried out.

The IHH Humanitarian Relief Foundation has been performing cataract surgeries in different parts of the world for many years and worked in 16 countries in 2025. As part of these efforts, 17,370 cataract patients underwent surgery. The countries in which the operations were performed are as follows: Togo, Nigeria, Uganda, Sierra Leone, Niger, Ethiopia, Somalia, Bangladesh, Arakan, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Syria, Palestine (Gaza Strip), Kenya and Mali.

In addition to the surgeries, the IHH conducted 51,074 examinations and 86,674 screenings in these countries.

To date, the total number of surgeries has exceeded 215,000.

With the surgeries carried out in 2025, the total number performed by İHH since it began its cataract work in 2007 will reach 215,510 across 24 countries. Meanwhile, 736,761 examinations and 1,135,468 field surveys have been carried out.

To support

Donors wishing to support IHH's cataract operations can contribute 30 TL by texting KATARAKT to 3072 from any mobile operator, or 180 TL by texting KATARAKT to 4072. Those wishing to donate larger amounts can do so via IHH's website or by making a bank transfer with the reference KATARAKT.