VisionSpring partners with Bloomberg Philanthropies to expand global screening and dispensing programme

The initiative expects to screen more than six million people for visual impairments over the next two years

2 min read

A woman receiving a vision screening whilst sat outside

VisionSpring

03 November 2025

VisionSpring has partnered with Bloomberg Philanthropies to increase the scale of its vision screening and spectacle dispensing programmes in Bangladesh, Nigeria and India.

The new partnership is expected to enable VisionSpring to screen 6.22 million adults and 120,000 children for visual impairment over the next two years.

The social enterprise also expects to dispense spectacles to 3.1 million people across the three countries.

Patients will be engaged through workplace screenings, primary healthcare integration, and community-based programmes. VisionSpring plans to deepen its collaboration with local partners in order to facilitate the programme.

In Bangladesh, VisionSpring will replicate two programmes that have already been successful in other countries: See to be Safe, for commercial vehicle drivers, and See to Learn, for school-based vision screening.

In Nigeria, the social enterprise will collaborate with the Ministry of Health to integrate vision screenings and reading glasses into primary healthcare services.

The partnership was announced to coincide with World Sight Day on 9 October.

VisionSpring noted that one billion people globally live with poor vision, creating barriers to education, work, and opportunity.

The investment is part of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vision Initiative, which aims to conduct vision screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute nearly seven million pairs of spectacles, and restore sight for 250,000 people through cataract surgeries.

Other countries included in the $75 million global project are Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, and the United States.

Ella Gudwin, chief executive of VisionSpring, said: “This is a landmark moment in the global effort to make clear vision available to all. We are incredibly grateful for Bloomberg Philanthropies’ visionary leadership.

“Clear sight unlocks opportunity, dignity, and safety. Behind each of the 3.1 million pairs of eyeglasses is an individual whose life will change for the better, and with them, the lives of their families and communities.”

Gudwin added: “We’re proud to play our part in this initiative, alongside other global eye care organisations, in a shared mission towards clear vision.”