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Baltimore, Maryland, August 28, 2023 – KeraLink International (KLI), a globally renowned charitable organization and leader in corneal health innovation, has unveiled three major initiatives to eradicate corneal blindness in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs): supporting the development of a groundbreaking approach to corneal regeneration; advancing a wholistic global strategy for preventing and treating corneal conditions that may lead to blindness; and spearheading a collaborative international effort to combat infectious keratitis, the leading cause of corneal blindness globally. Once the world’s largest provider of sightrestoring ocular tissue, KLI is now the only organization in the world solely committed to eradicating corneal blindness in LMICs.
“KeraLink International is unique in our singular focus on bringing health care providers, technology innovators, philanthropists, and investors into a coordinated, collaborative effort to eliminate corneal blindness in LMICs,” said Douglas J. Furlong, Board Chairman, KLI.
In the U.S., untreated corneal blindness is essentially a condition of the past. However, in LMICs, preventive measures are not as accessible, quality eye care is often scarce, and infrastructure to support corneal transplantation is lacking. Corneal blindness affects 12.7 million children and adults and threatens tens of millions more, even though it is preventable, treatable, and reversible.
“We aim to protect and restore the vision of millions of children and adults who suffer needlessly from corneal conditions, including blindness. This goal, however, will only be fully realized with the financial support of donors and investors,” Furlong said.
“Every case of corneal blindness prevented holds significant potential for positive social impact,” said David Green, KLI’s president and CEO. With the support of donors, investors, and philanthropists who believe in the lasting impact and value of socially minded capital to fund innovation, KLI is addressing corneal conditions in LMICs through:
• Preventing injuries and infections that may lead to corneal blindness;
• Early detection and rapid treatment that stops corneal conditions from advancing to vision loss; and
• Novel therapies, like corneal regeneration, to preserve and restore sight that will be priced affordably and produced sustainably in LMICs.
Through this “PEN” approach, KLI is rewriting the narrative of corneal health, fusing the efficiency, scale, and affordability of proven market-based practices with the compassion of philanthropy.
Donor support will further KLI’s strategic approaches and solidify KLI’s unique role as a thought and action hub for bringing technological and program innovation to the fight against corneal blindness in LMICs. Ongoing and planned initiatives include:
• Investing in Innovative Therapy to Restore Sight
KLI established and provided initial funding for a partner C corporation to develop a tissue substitute to regenerate corneas and reduce reliance on donated human corneal tissue. With additional funding, KLI can help speed the development of this groundbreaking technology.
• New Interventions
KLI has scanned the globe and identified innovative strategies for prevention, early detection, and rapid treatment and is helping to bring these to market to thwart the impact of corneal conditions that often lead to blindness. KLI is funding research and development of cost-effective imaging hardware and artificial intelligence to diagnose keratitis, a leading cause of corneal blindness.
• International Keratitis Initiative (IKI)
KeraLink International is launching the International Keratitis Initiative (IKI) in collaboration with the Aravind Eyecare System. IKI will unite leading eye care programs, researchers, industry experts, and foundations in a concerted effort to conquer keratitis, the leading cause of corneal blindness globally
Prevent Blindness is declaring February as Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD) and Low Vision Month in an effort to provide education and various expert-approved resources to the public and professionals. This year’s AMD and Low Vision Month is generously supported by Gold Sponsor EyePoint, Inc.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, AMD is the most common cause of severe loss of eyesight among people 50 and older. And, about 4 million Americans live with low vision, which is defined as chronic visual impairment that cannot be corrected with glasses, contact lenses or medical treatments.
AMD affects the central part of the retina called the “macula.” When AMD damages the macula, the center part of a person’s vision may become blurred or wavy, and a blind spot may develop. Early detection and treatment of AMD is key to helping to prevent significant vision loss.
Two types of AMD include:
“As our population ages, the number of individuals impacted by AMD continues to grow. Many will face difficulties doing the things we sometimes take for granted, such as reading, seeing faces, and driving,” said Jeff Todd, president and CEO of Prevent Blindness. “Our robust collection of resources on AMD and low vision are intentionally created to help minimize vision loss and maintain independence for those impacted by AMD while providing effective tools to the public and providers on ways to save sight.”
As part of AMD and Low Vision Month, Prevent Blindness offers the free AMD GuideMe app. This resource provides a customized overview of AMD along with a tailored resource list and suggested steps to help save sight from the eye disease specific to the individual using the GuideMe app. Prevent Blindness offers additional educational resources including fact sheets and shareable social media graphics in English and Spanish, and dedicated webpages.
New this year, as part of the Prevent Blindness ASPECT Patient Engagement Program Member Spotlight Series, graduate Laurie S., shares her experience with AMD, including her family history with the eye disease, how it impacts her daily activities including the ability to read music, and the importance of support groups “Age-related Macular Degeneration: Laurie’s Story.”
Videos in the Prevent Blindness Focus on Eye Health Series include:
The Prevent Blindness “Living Well With Low Vision” program provides useful information to those with low vision, their care partners and healthcare professionals. Content includes self-help guides, resources for vision loss and mental wellness, information on clinical trials, and much more. Living Well With Low Vision is supported by grants from Amgen and Genentech.
For more information on AMD, please visit PreventBlindness.org/amd. For information on geographic atrophy, please visit PreventBlindness.org/geographic-atrophy.
And, for more information on Living Well With Low Vision, or other general eye health information, please visit lowvision.PreventBlindness.org.
For a listing of organizations and services that provide financial assistance for vision care in English or Spanish, please visit https://preventblindness.org/vision-care-financial-assistance-information.
