The need

Madagascar is a developing country of over 32 million people—a population bigger than Australia—with less than one eye surgeon per million people. Developed countries have one eye surgeon for every 20,000 people. 

AIES supports an active and vibrant clinic, the Vision Institute of Madagascar (VIM) in the capital city of Antananarivo. The volume of patients is taxing our existing facilities that currently see over 2,000 patients a month. Our goal is to train local doctors to become ophthalmologists who will serve this growing number of patients.

We simply need more space to allow expansion of our eye services and professional training.

The solution

AIES is working together with VIM to design and build a new eye clinic and teaching facility that will handle our patient volume into the future. 

The proposed four-story facility will consist of 48,846 SF (4,538 SM), providing space for all clinical, teaching and administrative activities, plus a cafeteria, laboratory, eyewear store, and hospital beds, with parking for over 50 cars. The entire third floor will be dedicated to future expansion. The property is leased from the Adventist Union Conference.

In 2024, AIES negotiated a 99-year lease for the six-acre site of the new facility from Adventist International of Madagascar. The site was dedicated on June 20, 2024.

It will be in the center of Antananarivo on a prominent site visible from the main peripheral freeway, truly a “Beacon on the Hill.” 

We have made a lot of progress

In mid-2025, we hired a prominent Madagascar architectural and construction firm, Andry Etude et Construction (AEC), to begin the design of the new facility. After an intensive planning process, AIES, in partnership with AEC, has developed a very attractive, modern facility with room for expansion.

Construction drawings are complete and we have approval by the local governmental authorities to proceed.