MEDIA RELEASE
Released By:
Senator the Hon. Bob Carr, Minister for Foreign Affairs and The Hon. Melissa Parke MP, Minister for International Development
Foreign Minister Bob Carr and Minister for International Development Melissa Parke today congratulated the Fred Hollows Foundation for winning a national award for leadership in business practices.
The Foundation has been named Australian Charity of the Year 2013 in the inaugural Australian Charity Awards, a new partner program of The Australian Business Awards.
Senator Carr said the award recognised the good work of the Fred Hollows Foundation in helping to eliminate avoidable blindness in developing countries.
'This award is recognition of the hard work and dedication of this renowned and much-loved Australian non-government organisation in helping to restore the sight of over one million of the world's poorest people,' Senator Carr said.
Ms Parke said the award was well a deserved recognition for the Foundation's excellence in running an effective business that ensures quality eye care for the world's most vulnerable people, particularly women and ethnic minorities.
'This announcement acknowledges the Foundation's work in ensuring eye surgery is affordable and effective, even for the very poor, by training local doctors and nurses, and developing lenses at low-cost prices,' Ms Parke said.
Since 2008, the Australian Government has committed more than $125 million through the aid program to help poor countries in our region tackle avoidable blindness.
AusAID has supported the Fred Hollows Foundation since 1997. It will give the Foundation an estimated $7.4 million this financial year through the AusAID NGO-Cooperation Program (ANCP) to help it extend its work in developing countries.
Media contacts
Minister Carr's office: (02) 6277 7500
Minister Parke's office: Ronald Mizen 0409 447 025