Bloomberg Philanthropies Launches $75 Million Vision Initiative to Expand Global Access to Eye Care
Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a $75 million vision initiative to address untreated vision impairment in low- and middle-income countries, as well as the United States. The effort aims to strengthen national eye health systems, increase access to screening and treatment, and elevate vision care as a global development priority.
As part of the initiative, Sightsavers, an international development organization, will collaborate with the Ministries of Health and Education in Kenya and Nigeria. The partnership will focus on:
Training health workers and teachers in basic eye health screening
Delivering eye examinations and glasses
Expanding community, workplace, and school-based outreach, including to out-of-school children
Together, these programs will ensure millions receive essential vision care where access has historically been limited.
The Vision Initiative will provide:
Vision screenings for 11.5 million people
Nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses
Cataract surgeries restoring sight to 250,000 people
These services will reach populations in the United States, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and Nigeria.
The announcement comes as Sightsavers marks World Sight Day (October 9) with a renewed call for action to reduce avoidable vision impairment, including uncorrected refractive errors and cataracts. At least 1 billion people worldwide—one in eight—live with a preventable or untreated vision condition, according to "The Lancet Global Health Commission on Global Eye Health."
According to Sightsavers, vision care remains a “missing piece” in many global health and development strategies. Yet, new research from the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), Seva Foundation, and Fred Hollows Foundation underscores its massive economic and social potential. Addressing preventable vision impairment in low- and middle-income countries could boost the global economy by $447 billion annually—more than the combined GDP of Nigeria, Kenya, and Côte d’Ivoire.
Eye health interventions such as cataract surgery and glasses also deliver strong returns, with an estimated $28 return for every $1 invested.
Despite clear benefits, inequity remains stark. Over 85% of people with vision impairment live in low- and middle-income countries. In Africa, 70% of those with refractive errors lack access to corrective glasses; in Southeast Asia, nearly half face the same challenge. Women represent more than half of global blindness and vision impairment cases.
“Making eye care a priority will be transformational for people, communities, and nations,” said Sumrana Yasmin, Deputy Technical Director, Eye Health at Sightsavers. “Good eye health can reduce inequities, get more children in school, and enable more adults to work. Access to glasses and cataract surgery could boost learning and economic productivity.”
Sightsavers estimates that prioritizing vision and eye care could generate the equivalent of 13 million additional school years across low- and middle-income countries.