OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation forms collab with WHO

The OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation has joined as a collaborating partner on the World Health Organization’s SPECS 2030 initiative.

The WHO SPECS initiative builds on the world’s first global target to increase effective refractive error coverage by 40% by 2030. This was endorsed by WHO member states in 2021 at the World Health Assembly.

The WHO SPECS 2030 initiative accelerates global eye health efforts by focusing on five key pillars: improving access to refractive services, building the capacity of eye care professionals, promoting public awareness of eye health, reducing the cost of glasses and services, and strengthening data collection and research.

The collaboration between the Foundation and WHO will focus on knowledge sharing, technical input, and data provision across the five pillars, to inform the WHO initiatives in line with the global eye care target of effective refractive error coverage and to scale impactful solutions.

Anurag Hans, head of mission at EssilorLuxottica and president of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, commented: “Uncorrected poor vision affects 2.7 billion people worldwide, posing a significant global challenge.”

“As a result of the Foundation’s efforts, 961 million people in some of the most remote communities now have access to vision care services within a day’s travel, and 84 million pairs of glasses have been provided to those in need,” he said.

Highlighting the need for collaboration to amplify impact, Hans said: “By uniting WHO’s leadership in public health with our expertise in delivering innovative, on-the-ground solutions, we believe we can create a multiplier effect to extend vision care to even the most underserved regions. Together, we have the power to transform lives and uplift entire communities.”

Dr Jérôme Salomon, assistant director-general, Universal Health Coverage, Communicable and Noncommunicable Diseases, WHO, commented: “Vision care is not just a health priority – it is a social and economic imperative.

The SPECS 2030 initiative, which underpins the UN Vision for Everyone resolution, reminds us that effective collaboration can amplify impact, delivering tangible results for communities worldwide.”