HCP works to improve the quality of life for individuals and families in some of the hardest-to-reach locations by increasing access to affordable, high-quality eye care. Special emphasis is placed on cataract - a completely avoidable cause of blindness, and the leading cause of blindness in the world. Cataract blindness can be reversed overnight by a surgery that takes less than 10 minutes, at a material cost of $25. However, without a collaborative and the sustained effort, treatable blindness will persist, robbing communities of laborers, denying children education, causing $49BN in lost productivity for low/ moderate income countries every year. The Himalayan Cataract Project (HCP) is a non-profit organization founded in 1995 by ophthalmologists Dr. Geoffrey Tabin and Dr. Sanduk Ruit, with the mission to cure needless blindness with the highest quality care at the lowest cost. To accomplish these goals, HCP uses a proven model of high-quality ophthalmic care, education and the establishment of a world-class ophthalmic infrastructure.