KIGALI, Rwanda, April 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- In a significant stride towards improving health equity in Africa, the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) has joined forces with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation to launch a multi-year partnership aimed at enhancing access to eyeglasses and establishing sustainable vision care systems across the continent. This collaboration seeks to tackle one of Africa's most pervasive yet often overlooked public health issues: uncorrected poor vision.

Statistics reveal that in sub-Saharan Africa, approximately 12.6 percent of the population suffers from some form of refractive error. Alarmingly, 3.4 percent of individuals face visual impairment specifically due to uncorrected refractive errors. This silent epidemic acts as a barrier to learning for children, limits adults employment opportunities, and hinders seniors' ability to live independently. The economic implications are profound, as these vision challenges can drive families deeper into poverty. Remarkably, studies indicate that with access to simple corrective eyewear, over 80 percent of these vision impairments can be effectively corrected or prevented.

Recognizing the profound impact that good vision has on individual lives and communities, this partnership aims to expand equitable access to eye care services throughout Africa. The focus will be on developing sustainable, system-level solutions, which include:

  • Building Local Capacity: Enhancing the ability to deliver refractive error services at scale by training local professionals and establishing optical labs.
  • Strengthening Public Health Systems: Creating optical labs and equipping local teams with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide essential vision care.
  • Developing Shared Tools: Implementing tracking mechanisms to monitor progress towards achieving comprehensive coverage of refractive error care.

Through this partnership, the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation will significantly support CHAI in broadening access to affordable eyeglasses, thereby accelerating the delivery of vision services in critical regions. The Foundation will also contribute technical expertise, essential equipment, and resources aimed at raising awareness within underserved communities.

Moreover, both organizations plan to collaborate with government stakeholders to co-create actionable implementation pathways and explore the long-term integration of these vision care solutions into national health strategies.

Poor vision holds people back from learning, working, and living with dignity, especially children and older adults. CHAIs ambition is to get glasses to over 50 million people in five years, stated Frederic Seghers, the Senior Director for Assistive Technologies at CHAI. Partnering with the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation enables us to accelerate our efforts and extend our reach towards achieving this goal, owing to their technical expertise and expansive global presence.

Mustapha Njie, Head of Africa at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, emphasized the transformational potential of vision care: Vision care has the power to unlock human potential, but too often, it remains out of reach for those who need it most. This collaboration with CHAI allows us to build locally rooted, system-strengthening solutions that last. Their relationships with governments and commitment to inclusive development ensure that every clinic, lab, and pair of glasses contributes to a larger, sustainable shift in how vision care is delivered.

The implementation of this initiative is set to commence in April 2025, with activities rolling out across multiple African countries. The initial phase will span three years, with the possibility of extension based on national priorities and the overall success of the program.

Media Contact:

Tamana Mulchand
tamana.mulchand@essilor.com

About the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation:

The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is a charitable organization dedicated to eradicating uncorrected poor vision within a generation. In alignment with EssilorLuxotticas commitment to universal vision care, the Foundation works towards expanding access for millions in underserved communities globally. Furthermore, it serves as the global collaborating partner of the World Health Organizations SPECS 2030 initiative, which emphasizes refractive error, myopia prevention, and improved access to vision care in low-resource contexts.

About the Clinton Health Access Initiative:

The Clinton Health Access Initiative, Inc. (CHAI) is a global health organization devoted to saving lives and enhancing health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries. By empowering both government and private sectors, CHAI aims to strengthen and sustain quality health systems. To learn more, please visit: