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| CBM Global | |
|---|---|
| Name | CBM Global |
| Formation | 1908 |
| Type | International non-governmental organization |
| Headquarters | United Kingdom |
| Region served | Worldwide |
| Focus | Disability-inclusive development, blindness prevention, rehabilitation |
CBM Global
CBM Global is an international non-governmental organization focused on disability-inclusive development, health, and rehabilitation in low- and middle-income settings. Founded in the early 20th century, the organization has intersected with a range of humanitarian, medical, and development institutions, collaborating with partners across Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific. CBM Global works alongside organizations such as World Health Organization, United Nations, International Committee of the Red Cross, Médecins Sans Frontières, and regional ministries to integrate eye health, inclusive education, and community-based rehabilitation into broader service systems.
CBM Global traces its origins to charitable and medical movements active in the United Kingdom and continental Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, intersecting historically with actors like Royal National Institute of Blind People, Sightsavers, Christian Aid, and missionary networks linked to British Red Cross. During the interwar and post-World War II periods, CBM Global expanded programs influenced by paradigms advanced by World Health Organization initiatives, World Bank health projects, and the development discourse shaped at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development and subsequent development forums. In the late 20th century, CBM Global adapted to global frameworks such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and aligned programming with targets promoted by the Millennium Development Goals and later the Sustainable Development Goals. Recent decades have seen the organization partner with entities including International Disability Alliance, HelpAge International, and regional bodies such as the African Union and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations to mainstream disability inclusion in national policies.
The stated mission foregrounds prevention of avoidable blindness, provision of low-vision and rehabilitation services, and the promotion of inclusive development—areas that overlap with institutions like Royal Commonwealth Society, Save the Children, Plan International, and specialist hospitals such as Aravind Eye Care System and Lions Eye Institute. Programmes include community-based rehabilitation influenced by models developed at World Health Organization technical guidance, school-based inclusive education initiatives similar to those promoted by UNESCO, and surgical campaigns in cooperation with actors like International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and specialist training from universities such as London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Johns Hopkins University. CBM Global’s interventions often integrate with primary healthcare strengthening projects championed by Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, and national health ministries.
Operationally, the organization concentrates on regions with high prevalence of visual impairment and limited rehabilitation infrastructure, coordinating work across countries in sub-Saharan Africa, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America, and the Pacific. Typical program countries overlap with lists used by World Health Organization and United Nations Development Programme for health and disability priorities, and include partnerships with national institutions such as ministries of health in nations like India, Ethiopia, Kenya, Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, Guatemala, Haiti, and Solomon Islands. Field operations collaborate with tertiary hospitals, district health networks, academic partners like Makerere University, and regional non-governmental organizations such as BRAC and Médecins du Monde to deliver surgical, rehabilitative, and inclusive education services.
CBM Global secures funding and forges partnerships with a mix of institutional donors, philanthropic foundations, corporate partners, and national fundraising affiliates. Institutional funders have included multilateral agencies such as European Commission, bilateral agencies like UK Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and United States Agency for International Development, and philanthropic bodies including Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other charitable trusts. Corporate and civil society partnerships have involved actors such as Rotary International, Lions Clubs International, and private-sector allies engaged in disability inclusion and supply-chain support. The organization also collaborates with specialist networks and alliances including International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, International Disability Alliance, and academic consortia for research funding and program evaluation.
Governance follows a charitable organizational model with an international executive leadership supported by a board of trustees or directors, aligning with governance norms observed in organizations like Oxfam, CARE International, Save the Children, and Christian Blind Mission’s historical counterparts. Operational structure combines country-level programming units, regional advisory offices, and headquarters functions in finance, programme quality, advocacy, and fundraising. Staffing draws on clinical professionals from partner institutions such as Aravind Eye Care System and academic collaborators like University of Cape Town and University of Melbourne for technical leadership, while governance and compliance are informed by standards used by Charity Commission for England and Wales and equivalent regulators in donor countries.
Impact assessment uses indicators aligned with international frameworks including those of World Health Organization, United Nations disability indicators, and monitoring approaches used by World Bank projects. Evaluations have been conducted in collaboration with universities and research centers such as London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, University of Sydney, and University of Birmingham to measure outcomes in cataract surgical rates, low-vision service coverage, school inclusion metrics, livelihood outcomes, and community-based rehabilitation reach. Findings are compared alongside datasets maintained by Global Burden of Disease Study, Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, and sector partners such as International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness to inform program adaptation, policy advocacy, and alignment with global targets like the Sustainable Development Goals.