NAIROBI, Kenya, July 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation has reached a major milestone in the fight against the global vision crisis: over one million people across Africa have received a pair of eyeglasses since January 2025, as part of an urgent effort to address the continent’s unmet need for good vision.
Globally, an estimated 2.7 billion people live with uncorrected poor vision, mostly from refractive errors that can be easily corrected with eyeglasses. A disproportionately high number reside in Africa, where poor vision continues to undermine academic performance, reduce productivity, and limit the potential of entire communities.
Reaching one million people in just six months demonstrates what is possible when vision care is delivered with speed and strategic coordination. This achievement reflects a deliberate approach: meeting immediate needs while building sustainable access through local systems.
Philanthropic initiatives ensured that those most in need received care at no cost. At the same time, long-term access was strengthened by training entrepreneurs to operate rural optical points, supported by tele-refraction technology to overcome gaps in specialist availability and reduce time-to-delivery in remote settings.
Public-private partnerships were instrumental in accelerating progress, embedding vision care into existing health systems, leveraging local infrastructure, and scaling nationally in record time. Our efforts in Ethiopia, among others, demonstrate how close collaboration with governments can accelerate the integration of vision care into national health systems.
“In Zambia, we’ve seen firsthand how the ability to see clearly transforms lives, helping children succeed in school, adults return to work, and families build more secure futures. Integrating vision care into national systems is not optional; it is essential. The scale and speed of progress we’re seeing across Zambia shows what’s possible when governments and partners act decisively, and we look forward to continuing the momentum to ensure more people have access to the vision care they need,” said Dr Kennedy Lishimpi, Permanent Secretary, Technical Services, Ministry of Health, Zambia.
This year’s progress was also driven by increased alignment with governments through high-level roundtables hosted across Africa, aimed at advancing the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative. These sessions successfully placed vision care firmly on the health and development agenda in several countries.
“We’re proud of what this milestone represents, not just in numbers, but in the lives changed. It reflects the hard work of local teams, the trust of our partners, and the growing momentum for vision care across Africa. This is a shared achievement, and we’re just getting started,” said Mustapha Njie, Head of the Foundation, Africa.
The Foundation remains committed to expanding access to vision care across Africa in alignment with the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative. As more countries move toward adopting national vision programs, efforts will focus on scaling proven delivery models, strengthening integration into health systems, and reaching the next million, even faster than the first.
About the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation
The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation is a registered charitable organization dedicated to eliminating uncorrected poor vision within a generation. As part of EssilorLuxottica’s commitment to universal vision care, the Foundation works to expand access for millions in underserved communities worldwide. It is the Global Collaborating Partner of the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative, which focuses on refractive error, myopia prevention, and improving access to care in low-resource settings. With operations in more than 130 countries, it is the largest organization in the world focused on refractive error correction and delivery.
Learn more at: onesight.essilorluxottica.com
Media Contact:
Tamana Mulchand