Six programmes, one organ

1. 01

   Sight restoration 視力回復

   Most blindness in the world is caused by things a surgeon can fix in under half an hour. We pay for the operations, train the people who do them, and publish how well they turned out.

   61,240 cataract operations funded in FY2025

   Since 1983 · Led by Wanjiru Kamau, Nairobi

2. 02

   Mieru vision screening 見える

   A child who cannot see the board looks like a child who is not trying. We test eyes where people already are, in schools and community halls, and hand out spectacles the same month.

   1,482,906 people screened in FY2025

   Since 2007 · Led by Prakash Shrestha, Lalitpur

3. 03

   Implant safety 安全

   Optical implants are medical devices that update their own software. When one harms someone, the harm should be written down somewhere independent of the company that made it. That is what the Register is for.

   27,416 reports to the Register in FY2025

   Since 2016 · Led by Dr Ines Halvorsen, Chiba

4. 04

   Continuity 継続

   When a company stops supporting an implant, the people wearing it do not stop needing it. Continuity keeps abandoned devices working, keeps their software safe, and pays for a replacement when nothing else can be done.

   11,870 people with discontinued implants helped

   Since 2020 · Led by Yusuf Oduya, San Francisco

5. 05

   Living with low vision 暮らし

   For many people, sight cannot be restored. A good life does not depend on it being restored. We pay for the training, tools and work that make the difference.

   9,320 people in rehabilitation programmes

   Since 1991 · Led by Sugawara Midori, Tokyo

6. 06

   Shared Sight 共視

   Implant wearers can choose to donate anonymised data about what their implants see, to help researchers build better tools for people with low vision. Taking part is optional, and so is staying.

   68,402 wearers donating data

   Since 2022 · Led by Dr Kaji Aoi, Chiba

Where the programmes run

Research grants and the Kiroshi Fellowships are open to applicants from any country. Open calls are listed on the grants page.