$41-million global program has aim to eliminate poor vision

Essilor says that URE is the most common disability in the world, and an estimated 2.5 billion people do not have the vision correction they need.Visual impairment has significant social and economic repercussions – the latter calculated to be worth as much as $272 billion in lost global productivity per year, in the opinion of The Vision Impact Institute, a non-profit organisation founded by Essilor International to raise awareness about the importance of healthy vision.Vision For Life is a strategic giving program that aims to accelerate initiatives targeting poor vision through awareness-raising, capacity-building and the creation of basic vision care infrastructure, Essilor said.The sustainable development of local vision care will create jobs, help alleviate poverty and bring socio-economic development to individuals and the communities in which they live. The Vision For Life program is a natural sequel to the creation of our corporate mission division in 2013 and provides impetus to our efforts to bring good vision to everyone, everywhere in the world. By addressing the vast unmet vision correction needs, we can make a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and on human development worldwide, Mr Hubert Sagnières, chairman and chief executive officer of Essilor International, said.In line with its ambition, Vision For Life will fund various types of public-interest projects, ranging from community vision care actions led in cooperation with non-profit organisations, including local Essilor foundations, to the setting up of vision centres and skills development in areas without access to primary eye care.The program will also support public-awareness campaigns and advocacy to drive better understanding of the importance of good vision. The program will be administered by two non-profit entities – the Essilor Social Impact Fund, a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation in the United States, and the Essilor Social Impact fonds de dotation (endowment fund) in France.A governing board for each entity will decide the allocation of funding for projects in accordance with their respective investment criteria.