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Today, Essilor’s chief corporate mission officer, Jayanth Bhuvaraghan, and vice dean for education at Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, Professor Kevin Frick, along with the founder of Business Fights Poverty, Zahid Torres-Rahman, and TriplePundit came together for a conversation about the economic and social benefits of vision correction at #SeeChange.
Some things in life are considered priceless, and the gift of sight is certainly one of them. Impaired vision is the world’s most common disability, affecting the lives of approximately 4.5 billion people around the world; 2.5 billion do not have access to the correction they need. That’s right - poor eyesight affects a third of the world’s population, and it usually goes unrecognized. In the U.S. alone, experts estimate that vision problems are prevalent in 25 percent of all schoolchildren, and 70 percent of American juvenile offenders are reported to have undiagnosed vision problems.
Globally, good vision is a fundamental enabler for the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). It is essential for people everywhere to see clearly in order to undertake the actions necessary to reach the global 2030 ambition. As the company has done for 170 years, Essilor is working around the world to help individuals access the glasses they need to live life to its fullest.
In India, impaired vision affects an estimated 550 million people, and the cost in lost productivity is estimated at $37 billion a year. Essilor’s innovative Eye Mitra business model is impacting the Indian society in ways that correlate directly to the SDGs -- creating jobs, alleviating poverty and stimulating the local economy. Check out the Eye Mitra infographic below to learn about the great impacts of this program!
During #SeeChange, we addressed the following topics, and more:
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About Essilor: Essilor is the world leader in ophthalmic optics with a presence in 100 countries. The group designs, manufactures and markets an extensive range of vision care solutions that help to correct, protect and prevent risks to the visual health of around one billion people worldwide. Learn more here: www.essilorseechange.com / www.essilor.com
Marissa is the Owner of Climate Social, LLC. She holds a bachelor's degree in communications from Mizzou and a master's in environmental studies from UPenn.