The Fred Hollows Foundation joins Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative
Today on World Sight Day, The Fred Hollows Foundation announced that it has joined the Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative to improve eye health in Cambodia and Ethiopia. This transformative US$75 million (approximately HK$581 million) global initiative includes support to The Fred Hollows Foundation USA and other global vision organizations.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative is an effort to help restore and expand access to vision screenings, cataract surgeries, and glasses for millions of people in the United States and low and middle-income countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya and Nigeria. The Vision Initiative will conduct vision screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses, and restore sight for 250,000 people through cataract surgeries.
Head of The Fred Hollows Foundation USA Andrea T. Sanseverino Galan said: “Restoring sight changes everything. It empowers parents to rejoin the workforce and revitalizes families, keeps children in school and learning, and fuels economic development.
“The Fred Hollows Foundation is immensely proud to partner with Bloomberg Philanthropies on this life-changing work in Cambodia and Ethiopia.”
The Fred Hollows Foundation has a decades-long track record in restoring sight and strengthening health systems through its excellence in program implementation and partnerships with governments and local organizations in the 25 countries where it works. The Foundation has been working in Cambodia for more than 27 years and in Ethiopia for more than 12 years.
Michael R. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg L.P. and Bloomberg Philanthropies, WHO Global Ambassador for Noncommunicable Diseases and Injuries, and 108th mayor of New York City, said: “As many as one billion people live with a condition that is an enormous obstacle to success in school and careers: poor vision. And in most cases, it can be easily fixed. Through our new Vision Initiative, we’re teaming up with experts to expand access to screenings, eyeglasses, and cataract surgeries – and empower millions more people to fulfill their potential.”
As part of the Initiative, The Fred Hollows Foundation will support the Government of Cambodia to enhance access to high-quality cataract surgeries and other treatments for conditions leading to avoidable blindness. The Foundation will also offer refractive error services via public and private vision centers, schools, and outreach programs fortifying the national eye health system.
The Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative is poised to transform the lives of over 250,000 adults and 480,000 children in Cambodia through vision screening, eyeglass distribution, and by training more than 300 eye health professionals.
In Ethiopia, The Foundation will support the Ministry of Health in Oromia region to provide cataract surgeries, improve refractive error screening, and increase access to glasses through innovative school-based programs.
The Initiative aims to strengthen the overall eye care health system in the region, impacting more than 900,000 adults, including educators and transport workers, and 840,000 children, while training 5,000 eye health professionals.
“Avoidable blindness and vision impairment are solvable health challenges. We’re honored to bring our innovative approach to high-quality eye health to Cambodia and Ethiopia, ensuring that every dollar invested yields life-changing outcomes for individuals and communities,” Ms Galan said.
Additional Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative partners include:
- Vision Screenings and Distributing Eyeglasses: Sightsavers, VisionSpring, RestoringVision, Vision To Learn, and Warby Parker
- Restoring Sight Through Cataract Surgeries: Aravind Eye Care System, and Orbis
- Data and Evaluation: Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health/Wilmer Eye Institute, and the World Health Organization
Cover photo courtesy of Bloomberg Philanthropies