Johnson & Johnson, with support from the Johnson & Johnson (J&J) Foundation, announced a global commitment to help advance eye health through partnership, education and expanded access to care. The commitment includes continued support for school-based vision programs, cataract care capacity-building, donations of essential eye care products and global awareness efforts designed to elevate vision as a public health priority.
The commitment is being highlighted at the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health, co-hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), and supported by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).
Over two billion people are living with poor sight and for over one billion of these people, this sight loss could have been avoided or treated.[i] This represents a significant and rapidly growing public health challenge, but one that can be effectively addressed given that over 90 percent of sight loss cases are preventable or treatable through low-cost interventions such as glasses and cataract surgery.[ii]
“Vision shapes how we learn, work and experience the world around us, yet too many people are living with vision impairment that could be prevented or treated with access to quality eye care,” said Jacqueline Henderson, Company Group Chair, Vision, Johnson & Johnson. “We have long been committed to addressing that challenge and we are honoured to join global partners at the Global Summit for Eye Health to elevate the importance of vision, and support solutions that help close gaps in care so more people can see clearly and thrive.”
Key Focus Areas of the Global Eye Health Initiative
In support of the commitment to address preventable vision loss, the Company and the J&J Foundation will continue with ongoing efforts to expand quality eye health services around the world, with a focus on:
- Refractive Error: Sight For Kids(SFK) is the world’s largest known school-based eye health program that was co-established with the Lions Clubs International Foundation in 2002. SFK provides children in schools with free, comprehensive eye health screenings and care, including eyeglasses, reaching nearly 60 million children.
- Cataracts: Partnerships with organizations like SEE International help medical teams and volunteers bring free sight-restoring surgeries to people living with cataracts, restoring sight for more than 70,000 patients while expanding access to quality cataract care in under-resourced communities.
- Product Donations: Ongoing donations of intraocular lenses (IOLs) and other essential vision products help surgeons and healthcare systems provide sight-restoring care to high-need populations around the world. Additionally, through support of the Cure Blindness Project, donations of surgical outreach kits, ophthalmic equipment and simulation tools help strengthen ophthalmic training and support the next generation of ophthalmologists.
- Innovation in Vision Care: The Company will continue to advance breakthrough science, human insight and the power of technology to protect, preserve and advance vision. J&J Impact Ventures, an investment fund within the J&J Foundation, is supporting Phelcom Technologies to develop and scale handheld retinal imaging that is both high-quality and affordable. By enabling screening and diagnosis in low-resource settings, this technology helps make timely eye care possible for more people.
- Advocacy and Awareness: Johnson & Johnson is a member partner of the IAPB and is working alongside the organization to elevate eye health as a public health priority and advocate for its place on national and global agendas.
Peter Holland, CEO, IAPB said: “Johnson & Johnson has long been a driving force in advancing eye health globally. Tackling the challenge facing more than one billion people without access to quality eye care demands collective action, and Johnson & Johnson’s leadership shows what can be achieved when the private sector, governments and NGOs work together. This commitment will help accelerate progress and bring quality eye care to millions more people.”
These efforts are part of Johnson & Johnson’s commitment to help more people live, see and smile by expanding access to cardiovascular, surgical and vision care through J&J Care Community, the Company’s global social impact platform dedicated to connecting communities to care and championing health workers.
[I] World Health Organization. Blindness and vision impairment, 2026. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
[II] Burton M, Ramke J, Marques A et al. The Lancet Global Commission on Global Eye Health: vision beyond 2020. The Lancet Global Health, 2021;9(4)e489-e551. https://www.thelancet.com/journals/langlo/article/PIIS2214-109X(20)30488-5/fulltext
