Guatemala
VHI initiated work in Guatemala in 2007 with an inaugural field program where VHI sent a group of volunteers to the country to conduct comprehensive eye exams and prescription eyeglasses, and cataract surgeries for those in need. VHI has a longstanding presence in Guatemala and has sent a team of volunteers to the country at least once a year since 2017. We’ve implemented field programs in seven different locations within the country. Since 2021, we’ve focused our work in the Zacapa region in Central Guatemala.
In the Field
Here, some of the local VHI partners in Guatemala check in with patients who have received cataract surgery.
Upcoming Programs in Guatemala
In January of 2025, VHI completed its fifth VHI program partnering with the Lions Club of Utatlán and Mayor of Teculutan, who is passionate about eye care and cataract surgery.
VHI is committed to implementing at least one field program in Guatemala each year; the next VHI field program in Guatemala will take place in early 2026.
VHI Partnerships
The Lions Club of Utatlán is our host partner in Guatemala, along with the mayor of Villa Nueva, Guatemala. Both are a part of Lions Clubs International, a network of volunteers who work together to answer the needs that challenge across the world. VHI collaborates with multiple local ophthalmologists who support the work through pre-screening patients, partnering during the field progams, and providing post-operative care throughout the year.
Volunteering with VHI in Guatemala
Most Guatemala programs are about a week long; volunteers typically fly into Guatemala City and spend one night at a nearby hotel before traveling to the rural location. The VHI team stays at a hotel roughly 15 minutes from the field program location. The VHI team usually spends the final night in Antigua, Guatemala (45 minutes from the airport) celebrating the week of hard work!
Key Facts About Vision Care in Guatemala
3.98% of the population experiences moderate to severe visual impairment, which is almost double the rate in the U.S.
Cataracts are the primary cause of severe visual impairment in Guatemala, and there is an acute need for cataract surgery.
Whereas there is more access to high-quality eye care in Guatemala City, there is a lack of care in other part of the county, especially among rural communities. Guatemala has an estimated 1.3 ophthalmologists per 100,000 people, which is lower than the Latin American average of 5.2
Creating Sustainable Solutions
VHI has strong ties with the mayor of Municipalidad of Teculutan, which serves the town of Teculutan and the impoverished outlying villages in the surrounding mountains. The mayor is passionate about vision care, wants to build a local eye clinic and is recruiting local optometrists to serve low-income, rural patients on an ongoing basis. The mayor has committed to hiring an ophthalmologist for the town, donating a municipal building, and providing continuous eye care to the community. VHI has committed to procuring donated lanes of eye equipment to warrant and equip a full-time eye care professional in the town. VHI is committed to a minimum of one field program in Guatemala per year and donating needed equipment and supplies to the local community to build local capacity.