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The L’Occitane Foundation, established by L’Occitane, a French company that makes beauty and healthcare products, has donated 75,000 fCFA. for 5 years to help pay for cataract operations in Burkina Faso, where it is estimated that 65% of blindness is caused by cataracts.

The project has been led by the Order of Malta, a religious organisation that runs a health clinic in Burkina Faso, and as part of its work, has developed a strategy to counteract cataracts.

The aim of the project is to ensure that the most marginalized populations in the country, including its albino population, have access to the sight saving operation.

By 2011, more than 150 individuals have already undergone cataract surgery through the project. Current objectives are to continue to undertake cataract surgeries in Burkina Faso and to make the project sustainable.