Hollows, Fred (1929-1993), was an Australian eye doctor and humanitarian. A humanitarian is a person who works to help other people. Hollows is known for his work treating eye diseases among Aboriginal communities throughout Australia. He also worked in Eritrea, Nepal, and Vietnam.
Frederick Cossom Hollows was born on April 9, 1929, in Dunedin, New Zealand. He graduated from Victoria University in Wellington in 1957. He studied medicine at Otago University in Dunedin, graduating in 1961. From 1961 to 1965, he studied ophthalmology (the field of medicine dealing with eye diseases) in England.
In 1965, Hollows moved to Australia to take a position at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Over time, he became aware of the health issues facing Aboriginal people—particularly trachoma and other eye diseases. Trachoma is a contagious eye disease caused by a bacterium . Although trachoma is preventable and treatable, it was a major cause of blindness among Aboriginal populations in isolated communities across Australia.
In the 1970’s, Hollows helped set up the first Aboriginal Medical Service (AMS). The AMS was Australia’s first health service agency under the control of the Aboriginal community. In 1976, Hollows helped establish the National Trachoma and Eye Health Program. Through this program, Hollows and his team of doctors visited 465 isolated communities in Australia to provide medical treatment. Hollows later helped to establish eye care and blindness prevention programs in Africa, as well as in Central and Southeast Asia.
Hollows received many awards and honors in his lifetime. He became a citizen of Australia in 1989 and was named Australian of the Year in 1990. In 1992, the Fred Hollows Foundation was established. The foundation continues his work treating eye disease and preventing blindness throughout the world.
Fred Hollows died on Feb. 10, 1993. In 1994, his widow, Gabi, opened two intraocular lens factories in Eritrea and Nepal. The factories produce lenses that are inserted into the eye following the removal of cataracts . Hollows knew that most blindness in the developing world was due to cataracts. The cost of sight-restoring surgery meant millions of people failed to receive treatment. The factories manufacture high-quality lenses for a fraction of the cost of lenses made in the developed world. Today the two factories combined have manufactured millions of lenses for export to over 50 countries.
