Johnson & Johnson Reaches 50 Million Children Through Sight For Kids Program

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Jun 24, 2024, 08:30 ET

Co-Founded with Lions Clubs International Foundation, Sight For Kids Expands to Provide Life-Changing Eye Health

Historic High: Largest-known, school-based eye health program serves record number of students
Expanding Reach: Atlanta, Georgia and Hong Kong added to Sight For Kids locations
Providing Access: Nearly 450 million children worldwide have a sight condition that needs treatment¹

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., June 24, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson^†, a global leader in eye health announces that together with the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), Sight for Kids has provided comprehensive eye health services to more than 50 million students in underserved and low-income communities across North America, Africa, Asia and Europe². Additionally, Sight For Kids will expand into new areas this year, including Atlanta, Georgia, and Hong Kong. The global impact is being recognized at the 106^th annual Lions International Convention in Melbourne, Australia, June 21-24.

Joshua, a 14-year-old student and athlete from Louisiana, with his dad, Josh. Joshua's life changed when he was introduced to Sight For Kids. Joshua dreams of becoming an engineer when he grows up and has a love for basketball, which has grown even deeper now that he can see the basketball hoop clearly. Photo credit: Kate T. Parker

"Every child deserves to see the world clearly. Providing eye health to more than 50 million children across the world is an extraordinary achievement, and we are very proud to be working alongside Lions Clubs International Foundation to transform even more lives through the expansion of our Sight For Kids program," said Peter Menziuso, Company Group Chairman, Vision, Johnson & Johnson. "We are committed to closing the gap between communities and care, so every child is empowered to live their best possible life. We look forward to increasing access to eye care, and seeing the continued impact of Sight For Kids as we work to reach even more students and communities."

Since 2002, Sight For Kids has equipped communities around the world to help provide children with clear and healthy vision. The program has provided free comprehensive eye screenings for entire schools, and trained more than 200,000 teachers globally to deliver eye health education, conduct visual acuity tests, and screen students for common eye conditions. The program has also helped more than 650,000 students receive treatments and surgeries from eye care professionals, while also providing more than 515,000 pairs of eyeglasses to students.

Early onset of vision impairment in children can cause developmental delays in motor skills, language acquisition, emotional development, and social interactions, among others.³ Additionally, school-age children facing vision impairment may struggle to attain academic success, resulting in lower educational outcomes,³ and impact their future earnings.⁴ Despite these challenges, millions of children around the world lack access to essential vision care services – nearly 450 million children have a sight condition that needs treatment, with 90 million children living with some form of sight loss¹.

"Sight For Kids goes beyond providing essential eye care services to millions of children worldwide; it also helps parents, teachers, and strengthens entire communities," said Brian Sheehan, Chairperson, Lions Clubs International Foundation. "I've had the opportunity to witness screening events firsthand and the collective impact they have on the daily well-being of the students. Together, with Johnson & Johnson, we can't wait to see the continued success of this program."

Providing greater equity in access to eye care makes a real impact: 10-year-old Saja from Egypt, who recently had her eyes checked and received glasses, joyfully shared, "When my teacher writes on the blackboard, I found it difficult to see, I enjoy drawing and have good drawing skills. I am very happy because I can see now, I even know my eyes are brown!" Additionally, 14-year-old Joshua from New Orleans, Louisiana said, "They told me to look at the leaves, and it wasn't just a green blob anymore. It was very overwhelming because you can see all the stuff in the world you couldn't see before."

For more information about Sight For Kids, visit lionsclubs.org/sfk.

About Vision at Johnson & Johnson †
Johnson & Johnson has a deep legacy in developing transformational new products that improve the health of patients' eyes. As a global leader in eye-health, we have a bold ambition: Vision Made Possible – and are paving the way for a new future of eye health to support the full spectrum of pediatric, developed and mature eyes. Through cutting-edge innovation, scientific expertise, and advanced technologies, we are revolutionizing the way people see and experience the world. At every step of the eye health journey – from contact lenses and refractive and cataract surgical solutions to investigational gene therapies for retinal diseases – we stand as a trusted partner with the goal of making vision possible for customers and patients. Visit us at jjvision.com, follow @JNJVision on Twitter, Johnson & Johnson Vision on LinkedIn, and @JNJVision on Facebook.

About Johnson & Johnson MedTech
At Johnson & Johnson MedTech, we unleash diverse healthcare expertise, purposeful technology, and a passion for people to transform the future of medical intervention and empower everyone to live their best life possible. For more than a century, we have driven breakthrough scientific innovation to address unmet needs and reimagine health. In surgery, orthopedics, vision, and interventional solutions, we continue to help save lives and create a future where healthcare solutions are smarter, less invasive, and more personalized. For more, visit https://thenext.jnjmedtech.com.

Media Contacts
Allison Wedekind
Johnson & Johnson
[email protected]

¹ International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. https://www.iapb.org/learn/vision-atlas/magnitude-and-projections/child-eye-health/
² Lions Clubs International Foundation. (2024). https://www.lionsclubs.org/en/resources-for-members/resource-center/sight-for-kids.
³ World Health Organization. (n.d.). Vision Impairment and blindness. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment
⁴ World Health Organization. "World report on vision," Geneva, 9789241516570, 2019.

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson MedTech