Peek wins 2026 Zero Project Award for solution that expands access to eye care

Peek Vision has been selected as a Zero Project Awardee for 2026, in recognition of our innovative software and data intelligence platform that enables non-specialists to carry out vision screening and connect people to essential eye care services.

The Zero Project Awards celebrate scalable solutions that remove barriers and advance the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. This year’s awards focus on Accessibility, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Crisis Response, with 75 awardees chosen from 586 nominations across 93 countries.

A Lady Health Worker in Matiari, Pakistan carries out vision screening in the community using the Peek app Credit: CBM

Peek’s platform was selected as a winning solution for its impact in increasing access to eye care services. 90% of people with blindness or vision loss live in low-resource settings, where lack of awareness, shortages of eye health specialists, and limited data all hinder efforts to reach those most in need. Barriers to access can be especially pronounced for those in rural areas, older people or people living with other disabilities.

By enabling non-specialists to conduct vision screening in communities and providing service managers with data on who isn’t reaching care, Peek helps ensure people receive timely referrals and treatment that might otherwise be out of reach.

Peek was nominated for the award by CBM Christian Blind Mission, our anchor partner and the first organisation to deploy Peek in its programmes in 2018. CBM has used Peek tools to screen more than 13 million people and connect 1.4 million to eye care services across multiple countries including Pakistan and Kenya.

Together, Peek and CBM are working to address the global challenge of avoidable blindness and vision loss by making eye health services more accessible, equitable and effective.

Since it was first used by CBM in their programmes in 2018, Peek’s software and data insights have been implemented by governments, NGOs and eye hospitals in 13 countries across Africa and Asia, screening over 16 million people and connecting 1.6 million to care. 5,000 non-specialists have been trained to use the software.

“This recognition from the Zero Project underscores the impact that technology can have when it comes to making healthcare more accessible to everyone,” said Farhana Rehman-Furs, Head of Global Partnerships at Peek Vision. “We are especially proud to share this moment with our long-standing partner, CBM, whose leadership and commitment have been essential to reaching millions of people using Peek.”

The 2026 Awardees will be recognised at the Zero Project Conference 2026 taking place in February at the United Nations Office in Vienna. The event is expected to bring together over 1,000 in-person attendees from around 100 countries, with many more joining virtually.

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