Reimagining access to eye care for World Sight Day 2021

Many of us will experience some kind of eye health issue in our lifetime, but did you know that more than 1 billion people worldwide do not have access to the eye health care they need?

’With the appropriate access to treatment, the burden of vision impairment can be significantly reduced’. Regular eye checks can ensure the early detection and management of diseases that can lead to blindness, such as diabetic macular edema and wet AMD, and diagnose other eye conditions like amblyopia (“lazy eye”) and presbyopia (age-related vision reduction). Eye examinations can even uncover other health conditions such as diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure or cholesterol levels.

To mark this year’s World Sight Day, we are proud to again partner with the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Together, we are calling on everyone to #LoveYourEyes and pledge to have a sight test here.

Better eye health can lead to broad-reaching benefits across a variety of socio-economic factors, including educational attainment and employment. Additionally, low quality of life and poverty are both a cause and a consequence of poor eye health, with 90% of visually impaired people living in low- and middle-income countries.¹ By leveraging our strong relationships with partners, we are committed to raising the standards for eye care in the developing world to help make eye care accessible for all.

We are reimagining the treatment and prevention of visual impairment and blindness, working with partners around the world to deliver on our commitment to expand access to eye care globally. Our ongoing efforts include:

• Collaborating on a blindness prevention program in Vietnam and the Philippines with The Fred Hollows Foundation,
• Supporting Aravind Eye Care System in India in its mission to eliminate preventable blindness,
• Providing funding for 68 non-profit initiatives working to improve eye care across 29 countries through the Novartis eXcellence in Ophthalmology Vision Awards (XOVA) program,
• Launching All For Sight, a new digital platform for ophthalmologists in Côte d’Ivoire .

“At Novartis we’re excited to be part of the solution to try and decrease visual impairment and the burden this places on individuals and society around the globe.”

– Jill Hopkins – Senior Vice President and Global Development Head for Ophthalmology, Novartis

Click here to learn more about our programs and partnerships.