SAN
FRANCISCO, June 4, 2024 /CNW/ -- RestoringVision has
been awarded a $4 million grant from
Founders Pledge to address presbyopia at scale in India and Nigeria. This investment will enable
RestoringVision to implement three large-scale initiatives with its
partners to provide reading glasses to 2.5 million people living in
poverty with uncorrected presbyopia.
RestoringVision focuses on addressing presbyopia at scale.
Presbyopia is a naturally occurring, age-related eye condition that
affects billions of people worldwide, including 800 million who
have limited access to vision care. The organization aims to
increase income potential, alleviate poverty, and foster sustained
impact in India and Nigeria - two of the largest countries in the
world - by increasing access to vision screening and reading
glasses.
The programs include the following:
India: RestoringVision will collaborate with Supreme
Task India, an NGO focused on access to affordable healthcare, to
provide 500,000 adults aged 35-65 working in visually intensive
occupations in Odisha state – one of the poorest states in
India - with vision screenings and
reading glasses. These include tailors, weavers, mechanics,
carpenters, and farmers among others, to enable them to see clearly
and continue their work.
Nigeria: Two
million people will receive vision screenings and reading glasses
in Nigeria through two initiatives
to scale access to clear sight. This will be the largest
contribution to date to advance the Nigerian Presidential
Initiative that aims to reach five million Nigerians with glasses
over the next several years.
RestoringVision will work with the Government of Nigeria's National Eye Health Programme, the
Clinton Health Access Initiative, and other partners to supply one
million reading glasses for programs reaching people living in
poverty with presbyopia and provide technical support to help this
initiative succeed.
In addition, RestoringVision will partner with the Christian
Health Association of Nigeria
(CHAN) to provide vision screenings and reading glasses to one
million adults engaged in visually intensive occupations. The
program will leverage Nigeria's
faith-based health systems - tapping into CHAN's nationwide network
of faith-based hospitals, clinics, and community outreach
organizations, in collaboration with faith leaders from
Nigeria's Christian and Muslim
communities.
The far-reaching initiative in Nigeria will support insights into how to
address presbyopia at scale in a large country and inform how we
can solve the vision crisis globally.
By partnering with national and local organizations and
leveraging their existing networks, RestoringVision's model is
consistent with the World Health Organization's recommendation to
address presbyopia at the community and primary level.
"Thanks to this transformative grant from Founders Pledge we are
thrilled to be able to scale up our presbyopia programs in
India and Nigeria so that more people will be able to
see clearly. This grant not only enables us to reach millions more
people with the gift of clear sight but also fosters a broader
global community of changemakers dedicated to creating a world
where everyone who needs glasses has them. It is taking us a
significant step forward towards solving the global vision crisis,"
said Pelin Munis, Ph.D., CEO of
RestoringVision.
These initiatives build upon RestoringVision's 20 years of
experience providing innovative solutions to the global vision
crisis that bring immediate and sustained impacts. A recent study
carried out in Bangladesh showed a
33% median increase in income for people in a wide range of
visually intensive occupations who received reading glasses. By
utilizing cost-effective strategies and leveraging partnerships,
RestoringVision aims to improve the lives and livelihoods of
millions of underserved individuals.
About RestoringVision:
RestoringVision is a global nonprofit dedicated to ending the
global vision crisis. The organization is committed to creating
equitable access to vision services and eyeglasses, particularly
for individuals living on less than $2 a day. One billion people have a vision
impairment that could have been prevented or is yet to be
addressed, 80% of which could be corrected with a simple pair of
reading glasses. We work to solve this global crisis by partnering
with our unparalleled network of more than 3,000 NGOs and
government partners to provide life-changing vision screenings and
eyeglasses to millions of people who could not access them
otherwise. RestoringVision has reached more than 28 million people
in over 150 countries since 2003. For more information, visit
restoringvision.org.
About Founders Pledge:
Founders Pledge is a global nonprofit empowering entrepreneurs
to do the most good possible with their charitable giving. We equip
members with everything needed to maximize their impact, from
evidence-led research and advice on the world's most pressing
problems, to comprehensive infraucture for global grant-making,
alongside opportunities to learn and connect. To date, our members
have pledged over $10 billion to
charity and donated more than $1
billion. We're grateful to be funded by our members and
other generous donors.
For media inquiries, please
contact: media@restoringvision.org
For more information about RestoringVision and its programs,
visit www.restoringvision.org.
View original content to download
multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/restoringvision-awarded-4-million-grant-to-restore-sight-to-2-5-million-people-with-presbyopia-in-india-and-nigeria-302163425.html
SOURCE RestoringVision