U2 singer supports visual impairment campaign

Eyewear brand Revo has joined forces with U2 lead singer Bono to raise funds to help prevent unnecessary vision impairment and blindness in more than five million people by 2020.

For every pair of Revo sunglasses purchased, $10 from the sale will be donated to the 'Buy Vision, Give Sight' initiative.

The initiative aims to raise $10m (USD) for the Brien Holden Vision Institute, an organisation which works to provide sustainable solutions for eye care in under-resourced communities globally.

The Institute confirmed that the majority of the funds donated will be used for its Children’s Vision campaign, while the rest will be put towards eye health medical research.

Bono was diagnosed with glaucoma 20 years ago and labels his experience of treatment as ‘excellent’, making him “determined to find a way to increase access to frontline eye health services for others.”

He commented: “'The Buy Vision, Give Sight' campaign is a very personal one for me. Thanks to good medical care my eyes are okay, but tens of millions of people around the world with sight problems don’t have access to glasses, or even a basic eye test. Poor eyesight may not be life-threatening, but it dramatically affects your life and your livelihood if you aren’t able to fix it.”

The U2 singer will appear in Revo advertisements and campaign materials supporting the initiative. During the band’s Innocence + Experience world tour, he will also exclusively wear Revo sunglasses.

Global director of programs at the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Kovin Naidoo, added: “Eye tests and eye examinations are at the front line of eye care. But for millions of people without medical access, the simplest problems go untreated, children lose education opportunities and adults lose employment, often resulting in poverty. It’s unnecessary and avoidable.

“Together, through the 'Buy Vision, Give Sight' campaign, we can make a lasting imprint on eye care provision globally.”