Burkina Faso, formerly known as the Republic of Upper Volta, is a French-speaking, land-locked country in Sub Saharan West Africa with a population of over 17 million. In a poor country where quality health care is almost impossible to access, Burkina Health Foundation (BHF) works in partnership with the local community and others to create sustainable medical resources. One in ten school children in the country have vision problems. By identifying school children with poor vision and providing them with spectacles, this project will have far-reaching benefits for the both individual and society.

There is evidence that restoring visual potential in children can improve their chance of completing their education, improve their personal development and ensure that they can contribute to society when they grow up. The ALMT are supporting BHF in delivering a one-year pilot project, which establishes and trains a screening team that delivers regular and sustainable vision screening in government secondary schools in Bobo Dioulasso. The screening pilot in the Bobo area acts as external providers with an agreement with the Ministries of Health and Education and ensuring local human resources are trained to provide long-term sustainability to the project. The pilot develops the systems allowing BHF to scale up the screening to every school in Bobo Dioulasso, reaching 15,000 children.