HCP Cureblindness Acquires SightLife International
HCP Cureblindness announced it is acquiring SightLife International, the global division of the SightLife organization, with full integration of systems, programs, and brand to come over the next 12 months.
Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
For 13 years, HCP Cureblindness and SightLife International, both eye health nonprofits, have collaborated on multiple projects in clinical training, eye bank development, advocacy and prevention in Nepal and Ethiopia.
“Together, our respective expertise will have a substantial and long-term impact on the world’s most underserved communities, helping to enable local eye care access for the future,” HCP Cureblindness CEO K-T Overbey said in a company news release. “Building on our shared commitment to training, while also combining HCP Cureblindness’ deep expertise in specialized care delivery and infrastructure development with SightLife International’s expertise in primary care and policy and advocacy, we will ensure millions of men, women, and children across Asia and Africa have access to the eye care they need to thrive.”
By combining the regions in which they each serve, the two organizations can work toward the mission of eliminating blindness due to cataracts and corneal blindness globally, according to HCP Cureblindness, which was established in 1995.
HCP Cureblindness brings eye care to people in underserved areas of the world with focus on training local personnel. Together with a network of implementing partners in over 20 countries, HCP Cureblindness has provided over 1.19 million sight-restoring surgeries and 13.3 million screenings and basic treatments, has trained over 19,000 eye health professionals, and has established 5 eye hospitals.
Launched in 2009, SightLife International takes a health systems approach to addressing the inequities that contribute to and perpetuate corneal blindness worldwide. With partners, SightLife International has been instrumental in restoring sight and preventing blindness for more than 225,000 individuals around the world and providing clinical training for more than 7,000 health care providers.
In August 2022, SightLife merged with the Lions Eye Institute for Transplant and Research (LEITR), which is now the world’s largest combined nonprofit eye bank and research institute. SightLife International and HCP Cureblindness will look for opportunities to partner with SightLife US and LEITR to support technical training for eye bank personnel and surgeons globally, as well as provide corneal tissue to areas where eye bank development is not feasible, according to HCP Cureblindness.
HCP Cureblindness and SightLife International will also look for more opportunities to bring together their dedicated partners and surgeon community to advance their collective work.