Charities

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The Provincial Priory of Hampshire and Isle of Wight supports a number of local, national and international charities. One of the most important is The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group – a Foundation of The Order of St John, the oldest charity in the world. The Hospital Group is the main provider of eye care in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem. In 2008, the hospital treated 94,426 patients – 25,579 of whom were under the age of 18. The majority of patients come from the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem where access to specialist healthcare is exceedingly limited. Most people in these regions cannot move freely to see family or friends due to the ongoing conflict within the region and nearly half live below the poverty line. Eye disease causing blindness is ten times more common in this region than in developed countries. 30% of the population is under the age of ten. Common conditions affecting children are squint, infantile glaucoma, cataract and trauma. The St John of Jerusalem Eye Hospital Group is committed to the World Health Organisation’s initiative, ‘Vision 2020, The Right to Sight’, which aims to eliminate all avoidable blindness in the world by the year 2020. An essential part of this commitment is the ongoing training of staff and research into eye problems around the region. Donations from the Province are playing an important role in helping the Eye Hospital in achieving this objective. If you would like further information about The Eye Hospital – click here.