The global need for vision correction has created disability and a poverty-inducing health crisis worldwide. Over 1.2 billion people are unnecessarily blind or vision-impaired because they can’t get an eye examination and a pair of glasses.
To further compound the global burden of vision impairment, evidence is mounting that incidence of myopia — short-sightedness — is growing at an alarming rate. It is estimated half the world’s population will be myopic by 2050. Growing levels of high myopia are increasing the risks of serious eye conditions like glaucoma and cataract, which can to permanent blindness.
The Brien Holden Vision Institute believes sight is a fundamental right for all humans. Their passion for science and innovation is driven by the pursuit of knowledge and compassion for all humanity. Their mission is to develop sustainable vision care solutions globally to eliminate uncorrected vision impairment and avoidable blindness, thereby reducing global poverty and suffering.
While 89 percent of uncorrected vision-impaired people live in low-to-middle income countries, if we focus on myopia — expected to affect 5 billion people by 2050 — the risk looms closer to home. The U.S. population has experienced a 42 percent increase in myopia prevalence, a rate that has nearly doubled over the past three decades.
Brien Holden Vision Institute is actively pursuing vision for everyone, everywhere.
Focusing on child eye health
The Brien Holden Vision Institute believes focused child eye health programs, when integrated into existing health and school services, have the biggest impact on children’s futures. Left untreated in childhood, vision impairment can have long-lasting consequences including poor educational outcomes, employment opportunities and social interaction.
Our child eye health programs provide access to eye care for all the world’s children by advocating to peak international agencies and funding bodies, and working with governments to integrate child eye health initiatives into existing health systems and school health programs, and align them with education and social development services. By co-founding Our Children’s Vision, a global campaign of almost 100 partner organizations in 72 countries, the Brien Holden Vision Institute has helped initiate a call to action. Since launching in 2016, the campaign has helped more than 37 million children receive eye care services by integrating effective, sustainable eye health programs into regional, national, and global education and health policy. The goal is to push that number to 50 million by 2020.
SOURCE: Brien Holden Vision Institute, [email protected]
