Johnson & Johnson Vision Encourages Public to #spotlightsight for World Sight Day

• Campaign Raises Awareness of the Importance of Eye Health and Supports Two Global Humanitarian Efforts

London, United Kingdom, October 08, 2018

Sight is arguably the most prized of all human senses. Yet, there are many people who do not fully experience the wonder of this gift. Nearly 285 million people around the world face impaired vision, with 80 percent being preventable with early diagnosis and treatment.[i] That’s why Johnson & Johnson Vision, a broad-based global leader in eye health, has launched a worldwide campaign to #spotlightsight on World Sight Day, October 11.

During the week of World Sight Day (October 8-12), the company will draw attention to global eye health by encouraging members of the public to donate directly to Lions Club International Foundation, Sight for Kids or the Himalayan Cataract Project, and by sharing photos on Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag, #spotlightsight. A spotlight in the sky will also be shone direct from Johnson & Johnson Vision headquarters in Florida and California.

Sight for Kids has provided school-based eye health education and vision screening to more than 26 million children around the world since 2002. Today, an estimated 19 million children have impaired vision. Of these, nearly two thirds (12 million) need access to spectacles to correct for refractive errors.[ii]

Johnson & Johnson Vision is increasing awareness and encouraging donations to Sight for Kids through a captivating video which tells the story of a young boy in China with vision impairment. The video will be promoted across the globe and is available to watch here.

Donations can be made direct to Sight for Kids at Lions Clubs International Foundation. Johnson & Johnson Vision will be making its own significant contribution in honor of World Sight Day, providing over 100,000 eye exams for children around the world.

Partnering with the Himalayan Cataract Project, Johnson & Johnson Vision is also providing 1,000 people with life changing cataract surgery. Cataracts are the number one cause of preventable blindness.[iii] Restoring or improving sight can make a profound difference to people’s lives. Direct donations can be made to the Himalayan Cataract Project.

Sandra Rasche, Regional VP Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, commented, “Across the world there remains significant unmet need in eye health. At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we want to change that. As we work towards tackling this challenge, supporting and raising awareness of preventable vision impairment is critical.”

The #spotlightsight campaign supports the global call-to-action, “Eyecare Everywhere” by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), coordinator of World Sight Day. World Sight day is an international day of awareness, held annually on the second Thursday of October to focus attention on the global issue of avoidable blindness and visual impairment.

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Johnson & Johnson Vision

At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we have a bold ambition: to change the trajectory of eye health around the world. Through our operating companies, we deliver innovation that enables eye care professionals to create better outcomes for patients throughout their lives, with products and technologies that address refractive error, cataracts and dry eye. In communities with greatest need, we work in collaboration to expand access to quality eye care, and we are committed to helping people see better, connect better and live better. Visit us at www.jjvision.com. Follow @JNJVision on Twitter and Johnson & Johnson Vision on LinkedIn.

Lions Clubs International Foundation

LCIF is the charitable arm of Lions Clubs International (LCI), the world’s largest service club organization, with more than 1.4 million members in more than 200 countries and geographical areas. Since 1968, LCIF has funded humanitarian work through financial gifts from LCI members; the general public; and corporate, foundation and government partners. To build a future promising a better world, LCIF will increase service impact by combating vision problems, providing valuable life skills to youth, responding to major catastrophes, and sponsoring and delivering programs addressing the distinct needs of at-risk and vulnerable populations. Learn more at lcif.org.

Himalayan Cataract Project

The Himalayan Cataract Project and its extensive network of partners work across South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa to bring world-class eye care to the needlessly blind through quality care, clinical training and the establishment of first-rate ophthalmic infrastructures. Co-founder Sanduk Ruit MD, born in Nepal, educated in India, together with American ophthalmologist, Geoff Tabin MD, recognized the unmet eye health need in the Himalayas and made a vow in 1995 to eliminate preventable and treatable blindness. [iv]  Through the Himalayan Cataract Project’s efforts, over 8,875,905 people have been screened and treated, including surgery for over 740,000 people from 17 countries.[v] Visit https://www.cureblindness.org/ to learn more.

References

[i] http://www.who.int/blindness/data_maps/VIFACTSHEETGLODAT2010full.pdf

[ii] World Health Organisation, 2018

[iii] “Priority Eye Diseases” World Health Organisation, 2018

[iv] https://jjvision.com/caring-giving

[v] From HCP