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Dear Partners and Friends,
Over the course of the last week, I’ve been in Singapore engaging with eye health advocates from across the globe in impactful discussions during the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE conference.
2030 IN SIGHT LIVE is an annual, high-level meeting dedicated exclusively to the elimination of avoidable blindness and visual impairment worldwide. This meeting of the minds leads to action on 2030 In Sight – the sector-wide strategy for driving this ambitious, once-in-a-generation chance for change.
In collaboration with the Singapore Eye Research Institute, the IAPB invites delegates to use this annual opportunity to share and shape their contribution as part of the global movement to create sustainable access to vision services for over 1 billion people worldwide who have a vision impairment that could have been prevented or is yet to be addressed. RestoringVision brings a unique perspective to the table as we know that 81% of the issue is solvable with a pair of reading glasses. Today, there are 826 million people worldwide who are living in poverty and experiencing blurry vision due to an aging condition called presbyopia – and they do not have the ability to access or afford reading glasses. The world is filled with problems that are insurmountable and complex to solve however, this is one of the world’s solvable problems.
The global lack of access to glasses exacerbates existing inequalities – and we have a golden opportunity – within our lifetime – to change this once and for all. The World Health Organization’s World Report on Vision states, “The burden of eye conditions and vision impairment is not borne equally: it is often far greater in low- and middle-income countries, among older people and in women, and in rural and disadvantaged communities.” Men experience increased access to vision services and eyeglasses than women do worldwide with 10.4% more coverage, increasing gender inequities. From the perspective of income inequality, individuals in high-income countries experience 90% refractive error coverage compared to just 15% refractive error coverage in low-income countries. In addition, people over the age of 50 also experience an increased lack of access to vision services and eyeglasses – those most likely to have presbyopia. Through these examples, we again see the importance that clear vision plays in addressing critical inequalities and advancing the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Clear vision is an integral key that unlocks a path forward to greater income equality, greater gender equality, and greater equality for aging people whose lives are still rich with potential and ability.
We thank you for your partnership in our shared commitment to solve the global vision crisis.
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Pelin Munis, Ph.D.
Chief Executive Officer
RestoringVision
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June 27 is National Sunglasses Day and while these specs are stylish, they are essential to eye health in preventing cataracts and other eye diseases that can lead to blindness.
In 2022, RestoringVision's programs provided 277,585 adults and children, many living in regions with high UV indexes, with protective sunglasses to safeguard their vision.
Together, let’s celebrate #NationalSunglassesDay and post a #SunglassesSelfie wearing your favorite pair of shades and tag RestoringVision today. Not only are sunglasses the best statement accessory, but they also keep our eyes healthy by protecting them from harmful UV rays.
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Carlos José Juan, 66 years old, has lived in the Dominican Republic since 1980. He left his native Haiti for the Dominican Republic when he was just a young man. Carlos dedicated his life to cultivating the land and with the sale of his crops, he supported his family.
Currently, Carlos continues to work and cultivate sugarcane, leaving home before sunrise. Life in the countryside and long hours exposed to the sun can cause health afflictions in working people, impacting vision health especially.
When Carlos’ eyesight began to deteriorate, he came to a medical clinic that provides critical vision services. Through a program by RestoringVision and Hospital El Buen Samaritano, Carlos was examined by an ophthalmologist. During the examination, the ophthalmologist found Carlos to have high blood pressure, blurred vision due to presbyopia, and itchy eyes, with pain in the eyelids. To address his near vision loss, Carlos received a new pair of reading glasses that has enabled him to see clearly once again. These glasses will help Carlos to see the sugarcane crops clearly and allow him to work more productively. For Carlos and millions of people like him, clear vision is essential and life-changing.
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RestoringVision recently announced the appointment of two Vice Presidents to its newly formed leadership team to accelerate its impact in solving the global vision crisis. This follows a year of remarkable growth, in which RestoringVision expanded its reach by 48 percent in 2022.
In 2023, the organization aims to reach over 4 million people living in extreme poverty with the vision services and eyeglasses they need to see clearly.
Aminah Yoba, formerly RestoringVision’s Senior Director of Development, joined the organization in December 2020 and has been promoted to the position of Vice President of Philanthropy. Aminah will lead RestoringVision’s philanthropic strategies and programs, focusing on increasing foundation, corporate, and individual giving to accelerate the organization’s continued growth and impact.
Mark Lorey joins RestoringVision and its leadership team as Vice President of Global Programs and Impact. Mark will lead the strategy, planning, execution, and evaluation of RestoringVision’s programs worldwide.
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RestoringVision Community Outreach Program Partner Methodist Church of Park City recently traveled to a remote village in the Fam Islands in the Raja Ampat Archipelago in Southwest Papua, Indonesia to serve people in need with the vision services and eyeglasses they critically needed to see clearly.
There, they met a man who ran a local shop (pictured left). The man, desperate to see, had modified a pair of old and broken glasses by gluing plus lenses into a sunglasses frame. The glasses were rusty and ineffective. Through our program, the man was provided a vision screening and new pair of 2.00 diopter reading glasses that now enable him to work effectively and manage the shop that not only sustains his livelihood but also serves as a critical resource to the people of his community.
At the next stop to a village in Bali, many of the locals make handicrafts for a living. One man (pictured right) they met worked with tiny and intricate pieces that he was having difficulty seeing. He did not have any glasses and through our program, he received a vision screening and a pair of eyeglasses, a new pair of 2.00 diopter reading glasses. Now equipped with clear vision, he is able to continue working, providing for himself and his family.
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RestoringVision is celebrating its 20th anniversary in 2023. As part of our celebration, we present a new blog series honoring and recognizing our board members, partners, and leaders who have helped to advance our mission to empower millions of people across the globe annually with clear vision. In case you missed it, read the first two features of our new series: 20 Years of Clear Vision.
Ambassador Mary Ann Peters (retired), a dynamic global leader who has served as diplomat, CEO of The Carter Center, provost of the U.S. Naval War College, and in other prestigious positions, now brings her depth of expertise to her role as a board member at RestoringVision, whose focus is on solving uncorrected refractive error for people in need across the globe.
A poignant phrase that inspires Mary Ann was shared with her by a former Carter Center colleague: “The meaning of life is to plant trees whose shade you’ll never enjoy.” “I believe it is important to “plant trees,” – to invest in people’s futures – even if we never personally see the results of our efforts,” she says.
Jayanth Bhuvaraghan spent his career serving as a bold leader in the corporate sector, and his global leadership continues as he remains committed to the cause of clear vision for all people worldwide, no matter their location or income level.
“Good vision is a must for global development. We cannot advance global development without clear vision,” Bhuvaraghan said. “When we look at the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals, we can see that vision is essential to succeed in these goals. That is at a very fundamental level. Good vision is a necessity to advance global health, education, and economic opportunities. How can we have good education without clear vision, or gender equality when women are less able to access or afford eyeglasses? Although vision is not yet one of the goals, it is present in each one.”
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