As a Non-Governmental Organization established in 1991 with the objective of improving the eye health of Nepalese people, the B.P. Eye Foundation is committed to addressing a range of interconnected issues that impact the overall well-being of communities. Explore our thematic areas to learn more about our holistic approach to sustainable development.
BPEF is committed to advancing health through a broad spectrum of services, encompassing preventive, promotive, curative, and rehabilitative care. We offer specialized treatment for eye, ear, nose, and throat (ENT), dental health, and rehabilitation for children with disabilities, enabling them to acquire life skills for seamless integration into mainstream education and society. All our rehabilitation services are provided at no cost to families. We prioritize health promotion with free screenings at our wellness center for new patients aged 40 and above, focusing on non-communicable diseases like diabetes, hypertension, obesity, and glaucoma. CHEERS, our wellness program, promotes lifestyle changes through personalized diet, exercise, physiotherapy, and yoga. Our centers in the Bara and Parsa districts incorporate Artificial Intelligence and Telehealth to extend our reach. Our outreach and referral programs ensure comprehensive care for marginalized communities and those in remote locations. Our emphasis on equality and inclusion ensures that our high-quality services remain affordable and accessible to all, regardless of background or geography.
The Enabling Center is a unique program in Nepal offering tailored training and therapy services to children with sensory disabilities, including blindness, low vision, deafness, and hard of hearing, as well as those with autism.
The training spans 3-6 months, focusing on skills for daily living, such as motor, sensory integration, cognitive, behavioral, and communication skills. Children with specific needs receive basic pre-braille or sign language training.
Our Autism Center provides occupational therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) for both children and their parents, while our Vision Therapy addresses squints and lazy eyes.
The Physiotherapy service supports children with sensory disabilities and autism, and is also open to the general public. Speech therapy, conducted by experienced audiologists, is designed for children with hearing issues, including those with hearing aids or cochlear implants. Low Vision Therapy, which avoids braille-based learning, focuses on magnification techniques to help children with low vision study and read.
The Enabling Center services are free of charge, while the Autism Center charges a minimal fee. Our mission is to ensure children with disabilities receive the support they need to succeed in education and life.
At B.P Eye Foundation, our Climate Action and Sustainability initiatives are focused on tackling the critical challenges of climate change and driving the shift towards a sustainable future. Our efforts cover a broad spectrum of activities, from foundational research and comprehensive scoping reviews to implementing CHEERS—a model climate-smart hospital—through reducing carbon emissions and transitioning to renewable energy sources. We work alongside global partners to develop innovative solutions that deliver real impact.
Our approach encompasses research, education, policy advocacy, and community engagement to inspire positive change and make a meaningful difference. Join us in our mission to create a greener, more sustainable world. From preserving ecosystems to strengthening climate resilience in communities, we’re building a future where sustainability and climate action go hand in hand. Let’s shape a climate-positive tomorrow together.
We started telehealth at a very difficult time during COVID-19 when people were unable to travel, which increased the disease burden even more at the community level. Additionally, Nepal has limited health centers. Those that are present are also ill-equipped. Because of this, CHEERS/BPEF initiated the telehealth program in 2020.
Presently, the telehealth program is being run from 8-9 peripheral centers that are linked with the hub center (CHEERS) by both synchronous and non-synchronous methods, providing patients in remote communities access to clinical experts through telehealth at their doorsteps.
For the past four years, CHEERS/BPEF h initiated Artificial Intelligence (AI) augmented telehealth models (Disease Prediction Method) in diabetic retinopathy, glaucoma, pre-malignant oral conditions, and ear diseases. These models can be used in communities by minimally trained health professionals with effective results, paving the way for quality health services despite limited health human resources.
The Wellness Center promotes health and well-being, aligning with SDG 3: Good Health and Wellbeing, which aims for equitable access to quality health services and universal health coverage. Nepal faces a triple burden of disease: communicable, re-emerging, and non-communicable diseases (NCDs). In 2019, 71.1% of deaths were due to NCDs.
The Wellness Center offers preventive and curative services with a multidisciplinary team, including nurses, physicians, pediatricians, and physical trainers. It provides free risk factor assessments (e.g., blood pressure, blood sugar, heart rate, etc.) for patients aged 40 and above, focusing on diseases like hypertension, diabetes, glaucoma, COPD, and obesity. At-risk patients are referred for further care or counseling on lifestyle changes.
Since its launch, the Center has served over 153,745 individuals, with 36,909 in the past two years. In 2023-2024, the prevalence of risk factors included 39.65% obesity, 32.37% hypertension, 2.5% elevated intraocular pressure, and 10.10% abnormal blood sugar levels.
Some of the other services BPEF CHEERS provides are:
Health Promotion and Disease Prevention: Health Promotion and Disease Prevention at CHEERS focus on both individual and community health. For this purpose, visitors are provided IEC materials like brochures, pamphlets, and posters. Recently, televisions have been installed in the reception area to enhance patient education with relevant content.
BPEF’s involvement in higher education has been alluded to in earlier sections. This was the raison d’être for the Foundation. In addition, it has also trained grassroots upwards human resources workforce.
Its work in early childhood education has resulted in enrolment of over 400 under five children with blindness and deafness and other disabilities, restoring a right denied earlier to these children. This was a landmark development in education of children with sensory disability. In Nepal. To address shortage of Disability trainers it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kathmandu University (KU) and first batch of 23 (2 dropped out) trainees have graduated from a six-month diploma course. Twelve of these have joined the Masters’ diploma/ degree course at KU, School of Education. This is yet another collaborative and transformative partnership with one more university (the first being Tribhuvan University for eye and vision care specialists).
The Academic and Research Department at this Center focuses on advancing knowledge through scientific research and innovation. An internal research committee ensures research integrity and guidance. The department also oversees academic programs, including courses for Community Ear Health Workers (CEHW), National Board of Medical Specialties (NBMS) in Ophthalmology, Optometry internships, and clinical training for nursing and health assistants.
