New York – A new US$75 million initiative aimed at tackling untreated vision impairment was unveiled yesterday during the Bloomberg Global Forum in New York. The programme, valued at about E1.35 billion, will be rolled out by Bloomberg Philanthropies in partnership with Warby Parker, Aravind Eye Care System and the World Health Organisation.
The project targets one billion people living with vision problems worldwide, with 90 per cent of them in low and middle-income countries. It will provide eye screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute almost seven million pairs of spectacles and carry out 250 000 cataract operations in countries such as Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and the United States.
Michael Bloomberg said poor vision remained a barrier to education and employment for many people, although it is often treatable. The initiative will also expand Warby Parker’s Buy a Pair, Give a Pair and Pupils Project schemes, improve public awareness to reduce stigma associated with cataract treatment and strengthen data systems to improve patient care.
The overall aim is to open opportunities for millions of people by ensuring access to basic eye health services.
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