Organizations Also Launch Social Media Donation Program to
Support Prevent Blindness and Broaden Patients' Access to Cataract
Surgery and Care During June's Cataract Awareness Month
LAVAL, QC and CHICAGO, June 1,
2021 /CNW/ -- Bausch + Lomb, a leading global eye
health business of Bausch Health Companies Inc. (NYSE/TSX: BHC)
("Bausch Health"), and Prevent Blindness, the nation's oldest
volunteer eye health non-profit organization, today announced that
they are joining forces during Cataract Awareness Month in June to
educate the public and raise awareness of the symptoms, causes and
treatment options for cataracts, the leading cause of vision loss
in the United States and the
leading cause of blindness worldwide.1
Treatment options include cataract surgery, which is one of the
most effective and common medical procedures with an overall
success rate of 99 percent when performed in appropriate
settings.2 Approximately four million cataract surgeries
are performed each year in the United
States.3 However, anxiety around the operation
itself is experienced by many cataract surgery patients leading up
to the procedure.4
"As a leader in eye health, Bausch + Lomb is proud to raise
awareness of this incredibly common eye condition and its treatment
options, particularly following the interruptions seen in routine
medical healthcare as a result of the pandemic," said Joe Gordon, U.S. president, Bausch + Lomb. "We
share this commitment with Prevent Blindness, an incredible
organization that goes to extreme lengths to help people, and we
look forward to working with them to provide people affected by
cataracts with information and resources to support their
care."
Throughout June, Bausch + Lomb and Prevent Blindness will post
content on their social media pages to share facts and helpful
information about cataracts and cataract surgery. Bausch + Lomb
will also donate $1* to Prevent
Blindness sight-saving fund for every "share" or "like" of certain
posts from the Bausch + Lomb Facebook page at
https://www.facebook.com/BauschandLomb/ during the month of June.
Proceeds will support Prevent Blindness' education and advocacy
work aimed at ensuring all people have access to cataract surgery
and care.
"As the population in America continues to age, the number of
cataract cases are projected to increase by 50 percent to 38.5
million by 2032,5" said Jeff
Todd, president and CEO, Prevent Blindness. "It is critical
that we educate early and often about cataracts and the
effectiveness of cataract surgery. Through this campaign with
Bausch + Lomb, we are providing resources and information to help
people affected by cataracts understand their treatment
options."
For information on cataracts, visit the Prevent Blindness
website at https://preventblindness.org/cataract/. For a listing of
vision care organizations and services that provide financial
assistance programs in English or Spanish, visit
https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information/.
About Cataracts and Cataract Surgery
A cataract is the
clouding of the normally clear lens of the eye most commonly caused
by aging.6 An ophthalmic surgeon removes the cloudy lens
and replaces it with a clear, artificial implant called an
intraocular lens (IOL).7 According to the U.S. National
Eye Institute, cataract surgery is one of the safest, most common
and effective surgical procedures performed in the United States.8 In most cases,
people experience improved vision after the
procedure.8
About Prevent Blindness
Founded in 1908, Prevent
Blindness is the nation's leading volunteer eye health and safety
organization dedicated to fighting blindness and saving sight.
Focused on promoting a continuum of vision care, Prevent Blindness
touches the lives of millions of people each year through public
and professional education, advocacy, certified vision screening
and training, community and patient service programs and research.
These services are made possible through the generous support of
the American public. Together with a network of affiliates, Prevent
Blindness is committed to eliminating preventable blindness in
America. For more information, visit us at preventblindness.org,
and follow us
on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn.
About Bausch + Lomb
Bausch + Lomb, a leading global
eye health business of Bausch Health Companies Inc., is solely
focused on helping people see better. Its core businesses include
over-the-counter products, dietary supplements, eye care products,
ophthalmic pharmaceuticals, contact lenses, lens care products,
ophthalmic surgical devices and instruments. Bausch + Lomb
develops, manufactures and markets one of the most comprehensive
product portfolios in the industry, which is available in
approximately 100 countries. For more information, visit
www.bausch.com.
About Bausch Health
Bausch Health Companies Inc.
(NYSE/TSX: BHC) is a global company whose mission is to improve
people's lives with our health care products. We develop,
manufacture and market a range of pharmaceutical, medical device
and over-the-counter products, primarily in the therapeutic areas
of eye health, gastroenterology and dermatology. We are delivering
on our commitments as we build an innovative company dedicated to
advancing global health. For more information, visit
www.bauschhealth.com and connect with us
on Twitter and LinkedIn.
Forward-looking Statements
This news release may
contain forward-looking statements, which may generally be
identified by the use of the words "anticipates," "expects,"
"intends," "plans," "should," "could," "would," "may," "believes,"
"estimates," "potential," "target," or "continue" and variations or
similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current
expectations and beliefs of management and are subject to certain
risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those described in the forward-looking statements.
These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the
risks and uncertainties discussed in Bausch Health's most recent
annual report on Form 10-K and detailed from time to time in Bausch
Health's other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange
Commission and the Canadian Securities Administrators, which
factors are incorporated herein by reference. They also include,
but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties caused by or
relating to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic, and the fear of that
pandemic and its potential effects, the severity, duration and
future impact of which are highly uncertain and cannot be
predicted, and which may have a material adverse impact on Bausch
Health, including but not limited to its project development
timelines, and costs (which may increase). Readers are cautioned
not to place undue reliance on any of these forward-looking
statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the
date hereof. Bausch Health undertakes no obligation to update any
of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or
circumstances after the date of this news release or to reflect
actual outcomes, unless required by law.
References
- U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved from
https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/basics/ced/index.html#:~:text=external%20icon-,Cataract,can%20be%20present%20at%20birth.
Accessed April 2, 2021.
- Market Scope 2019 Annual Sponsored US Cataract Surgeon Survey
Report.
- Market Scope Q3 manufacturers survey.
- Ramirez DA, Brodie FL, Rose-Nussbaumer J, Ramanathan S. Anxiety
in patients undergoing cataract surgery: a pre- and postoperative
comparison. Clin Ophthalmol. 2017;11:1979-1986. Published
2017 Nov 10. doi:10.2147/OPTH.S146135.
- Prevent Blindness. Retrieved from:
https://preventblindness.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Future_of_Vision_final_0.pdf
Accessed May 6, 2021.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Retrieved
from https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-are-cataracts.
Accessed March 20, 2021.
- American Academy of Ophthalmology. Retrieved from
https://www.aao.org/eye-health/diseases/what-is-cataract-surgery.
Accessed April 2, 2021.
- National Eye Institute Website. Retrieved from
https://www.nei.nih.gov/learn-about-eye-health/eye-conditions-and-diseases/cataracts/cataract-surgery.
Accessed April 2, 2021.
*Bausch + Lomb will donate $1
to the organization Prevent Blindness for every Facebook like or
share, up to $50,000, from
6/1/2021 through 6/30/2021.
Any product/brand names and/or logos are trademarks of the
respective owners.
© 2021 Bausch & Lomb
Incorporated or its affiliates.
PRA.0040.USA.21 V2.0
Prevent Blindness
Media Contact:
|
Bausch Health
Investor Contact:
|
Sarah
Hecker
|
Arthur
Shannon
|
shecker@preventblindness.com
|
arthur.shannon@bauschhealth.com
|
(312)
363-6035
|
(514)
865-3855
|
|
(877) 281-6642 (toll
free)
|
|
|
|
Bausch Health
Media Contact:
|
|
Lainie
Keller
|
|
lainie.keller@bauschhealth.com
|
|
(908)
927-1198
|
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SOURCE Bausch Health Companies Inc.