Eyes on the Future: Hunter Cherwek’s Mission to End Preventable Blindness

Every day, in many communities without enough resources, millions suffer from blindness that could be prevented. A lack of proper eye care, old training methods, and few modern tools leave many in the dark. In places where a simple cataract surgery could bring back both sight and hope, big challenges and a shortage of new ideas block the way.

Inspired by these problems, an amazing journey spans continents and changes lives. Born in a small town in Virginia, Dr. Hunter Cherwek—Vice President, Clinical Services and Technologies at Orbis International—took a path from the halls of Duke and Emory Universities to remote parts of the world. What began as a simple interest in medicine grew into a strong promise to end preventable blindness. A life-changing experience in Kenya set him on a course that reshaped his mission in eye care and pushed him to find better solutions for communities in need.

Dr. Cherwek is a well-known eye doctor and he is also a visionary who mixes the latest technology with a deep passion for teaching. His work at Orbis International, especially on the famous Flying Eye Hospital, has helped perform surgeries that restore sight in over 20 countries. He also created a prize-winning online learning and remote care program that supports health workers around the world. His six years as Medical Director of Strategic Markets in Beijing show his steady drive to change old ways and bring better eye care all over the world.

In this episode, Dr. Cherwek explains how a lucky scholarship and early global experiences shaped his promise to end preventable blindness, the challenges of providing modern eye care in low-resource areas, and how using tools like remote care and training simulations can change how we teach and treat patients. Here is our conversation.