Ulls del món

Ulls del món (Catalan for "Eyes of the World") is a non-profit foundation headquartered in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain, dedicated to fighting avoidable blindness — blindness that can be prevented or cured — in some of the world's most vulnerable territories. It was formally created in July 2001 on the initiative of Rafael Ribó, then Ombudsman (Síndic de Greuges) of Catalonia and the foundation's president, together with ophthalmologist Borja Corcóstegui, medical director of the Institut de Microcirurgia Ocular (IMO), who serves as vice-president. The project grew out of a humanitarian assistance trip to Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, where the founders saw the scale of untreated eye disease among displaced populations. The foundation's model combines direct ophthalmological care with capacity building. Spanish ophthalmologists volunteer their time — often taking unpaid leave from their hospitals and clinics — and travel with their own surgical instruments to regions where recoverable blindness is widespread, including Mali, Inhambane province in Mozambique, El Alto in Bolivia, and the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf in the Sahara, where the organisation's work began. Alongside surgery, Ulls del món trains local professionals, strengthens local health systems and advocates for the universal right to vision. It also works to raise public awareness about healthcare gaps in low-resource countries. Since 2002 the foundation has held an annual fundraising gala known as the "Nit dels Ulls del Món" (Night of the Eyes of the World) to support people who have had no access to prevention programmes. Its work is framed against World Health Organization warnings that half of the roughly 2.2 billion cases of visual impairment or blindness could be avoided with access to necessary medical care, and that this figure could nearly double by 2050. In its first five years, between 2001 and 2006, its volunteer ophthalmologists helped restore sight to more than 4,000 people across three countries and treated 20,000 more affected by trachoma, glaucoma or cataracts. By 2019 the foundation reported attending to 122,123 people — 45,255 of them minors — and performing 2,775 operations. Ulls del món is a member of the Agència per a la Prevenció de la Ceguesa (Agency for the Prevention of Blindness). Its activities span surgical campaigns, epidemiological studies such as the RAAB (Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness) survey in Mali's Mopti region, urban outreach projects such as "Ulls propers" for people experiencing homelessness in Barcelona, and awareness campaigns. In 2022 it launched "Iris del món", an initiative in which celebrities donate an exclusive photograph of their iris to be auctioned, raising funds and drawing attention to eye-care deficiencies in vulnerable territories; actor Javier Bardem was the first celebrity to support it. The foundation communicates in Catalan, Spanish and English through its website, ullsdelmon.org.

Ulls del món was formally created in July 2001 as a non-profit foundation. Its origins lie in a humanitarian assistance trip to the Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, where the scale of untreated eye disease among displaced people prompted the creation of an organisation dedicated to fighting avoidable blindness. The foundation was driven by Rafael Ribó, then Síndic de Greuges (Ombudsman) of Catalonia, who became its president, and by ophthalmologist Borja Corcóstegui, medical director of the Institut de Microcirurgia Ocular (IMO), who became its vice-president. From the outset, the foundation's operating model relied on Spanish ophthalmologists who each year requested unpaid leave from their hospitals or clinics and travelled with their own surgical instruments to regions where recoverable blindness was most prevalent. Early destinations included Mali, Inhambane province in Mozambique, El Alto in Bolivia, and the Sahrawi refugee camps of Tindouf in the Sahara, where the organisation's journey began. In its first five years, between 2001 and 2006, the work of its volunteer ophthalmologists helped restore sight to more than 4,000 people in these three countries, while 20,000 more were treated for conditions including trachoma, glaucoma and cataracts. Since 2002 the foundation has held an annual fundraising event, the "Nit dels Ulls del Món" (Night of the Eyes of the World), aimed at eradicating avoidable blindness and raising funds to care for people who have had no access to prevention programmes. The foundation is a member of the Agència per a la Prevenció de la Ceguesa (Agency for the Prevention of Blindness). Its work is set against World Health Organization reports warning that half of the roughly 2.2 billion cases of visual impairment or blindness could be avoided with access to necessary medical care, and that by 2050 this figure could nearly double. Over the years the foundation expanded its activities beyond surgical missions to include training of local professionals, strengthening of local health systems, epidemiological research and public awareness. By 2019 it reported attending to 122,123 people — 45,255 of them minors — and performing 2,775 operations. In 2022 it launched the "Iris del món" project, in which an exclusive photograph of a famous person's iris is auctioned to raise funds and raise awareness about eye-care deficiencies in vulnerable territories and to defend the universal right to vision; actor Javier Bardem was the first celebrity to support the initiative by "donating" his iris. More recent activities include the RAAB (Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness) study coordinated in Mali's Mopti region in July, whose data collection phase concluded successfully, and the "Ulls propers" project, which in September attended 97 people experiencing homelessness in Barcelona and detected a high need for visual care. The foundation also runs refraction and glasses campaigns, such as one for students in Entre Ríos.

• 2026

  The RAAB study data collection in Mali's Mopti region concludes successfully; the "Ulls propers" project serves 97 people experiencing homelessness in Barcelona.

• 2022

  The "Iris del món" project is launched; actor Javier Bardem is the first celebrity to donate his iris for auction.

• 2019

  The foundation reports attending to 122,123 people (45,255 minors) and performing 2,775 operations.

• 2006

  In its first five years (2001–2006), volunteer ophthalmologists help restore sight to more than 4,000 people and treat 20,000 more.

• 2002

  The foundation begins holding the annual "Nit dels Ulls del Món" fundraising gala.

• 2001

  Ulls del món is formally created in July as a non-profit foundation, driven by Rafael Ribó and Borja Corcóstegui.

A non-profit foundation fighting avoidable blindness in vulnerable territories by combining direct ophthalmological care, training of local professionals and advocacy for the universal right to vision.

• Ophthalmological surgical campaigns

  Volunteer Spanish ophthalmologists travel with their own instruments to perform surgery in regions with high rates of recoverable blindness.

• Training of local professionals

  Projects that train local professionals and strengthen local health systems.

• RAAB surveys

  Rapid Assessment of Avoidable Blindness epidemiological studies, such as the one coordinated in Mopti, Mali.

• Ulls propers

  Urban outreach project providing visual care to people experiencing homelessness in Barcelona.

• Refraction and glasses campaigns

  Campaigns providing eye refraction and glasses, such as for students in Entre Ríos.

1. 1Inici - Ulls del mónullsdelmon.org
2. 2Finalitza amb èxit la recollida de dades sobre la ceguesa evitable a Mali - Ulls del mónullsdelmon.org
3. 3Ulls del món - Wikidatawikidata.org
4. 4Ulls del Món - Viquipèdiaca.wikipedia.org