More than 5.5 million Canadians live with eye conditions that could threaten their vision. That’s about one in every seven people. On a global scale, the number is much larger, with 2.2 billion affected. In at least 1 billion of these cases, the vision loss could have been prevented or is still preventable.
Many of those affected live in low- and middle-income countries, where access to eye care is limited. The cost of vision impairment to patients, families, and communities around the world is estimated at over US$3 trillion every year.
To help address this, groups like Optometry Giving Sight are working to support sustainable programs that train local eye care providers and make vision care more accessible.
As an eye clinic in Toronto, we’re proud to do our part by partnering with Optometry Giving Sight to help fight preventable blindness.
About Optometry Giving Sight
Optometry Giving Sight is a global organization that funds programs to bring much-needed vision care to people in developing countries. With support from the optometry industry, eye care professionals, patients, and donors, they help train local eye care workers and build sustainable services.
The organization was founded in 2003 by the World Council of Optometry, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and the Brien Holden Vision Institute. Together, they work to tackle the worldwide problem of vision impairment.
Optometry Giving Sight sets up education programs and schools to train local people as optometrists, eyeglass technicians, refractionists, and eye care workers. This helps address the serious shortage of trained eye care staff in the parts of the world that need them most.
In many underserved communities, getting an eye exam isn’t as simple as visiting a local optometrist. Vision centers offer eye exams, affordable glasses, and referrals for further treatment. Every center funded by Optometry Giving Sight is built with the goal of becoming self-sustaining over time.
Helping someone see again can transform a life of poverty into one of opportunity. Optometry Giving Sight is working to support the more than 2.2 billion people around the world who are blind or living with vision loss.
360 Eyecare’s Involvement
As eye care providers, we see every day how important good vision is to living a full and healthy life. That’s why we proudly support Optometry Giving Sight. Their mission to end preventable blindness matches our commitment to improving health in our community.
Our partnership with Optometry Giving Sight began in 2017, sparked by a clinic-wide effort to extend our impact beyond local care.
Our goal is to help fund eye exams, provide glasses, and support the training of local optometrists in underserved regions every year. By doing this, we’re helping to build long-term solutions that give communities the tools and knowledge they need to care for their own eye health. Each contribution supports access to basic but life-changing vision care that many people around the world sometimes still go without. With every eye exam we offer and every donation we make, we’re helping bring the world a little more into focus for someone in need.
“We are honoured to support Optometry Giving Sight and be part of the solution to global vision impairment. Our ongoing commitment to this cause reflects our dedication to improving eye health worldwide. Every year, we renew our support to help bring eye care services to those who need them most. We are working towards a world where everyone has the chance to see clearly.”
— Dr. Sam Baraam, Optometrist and Founder at 360 Eyecare
Final Words
Through partnerships like ours with Optometry Giving Sight, we’re one step closer to a world where everyone has access to clear vision. Together, we can change lives. A simple act of kindness can have a global impact. If you’d like to do more, visit Optometry Giving Sight to learn how you can help bring vision to those in need. You can also ask us how your next eye exam can make a difference. Join us in supporting a world where everyone has access to eye care. Get in touch with our team today to find out more.
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