Donation funds eye care in underserved communities

Dunfermline, Scotland-Optos participated in the World Sight Day Company Challenge by making a donation to Optometry Giving Sight for each retinal screening image made using its tool (Optomap) on World Sight Day, Oct. 13.

“We are pleased to make this donation to help underserved communities worldwide access sustainable eye care,” said Roy Davis, chief executive officer of Optos, which has worldwide headquarters in Dunfermline, Scotland, and North American headquarters in Malborough, MA.

Optometry Giving Sight, based in Sydney, Australia, with U.S. offices in Golden, CO, is a joint initiative of the World Optometry Foundation, the International Centre for Eyecare Education, and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness. Eighty-five percent of donations to the nonprofit initiative directly support projects that provide vision care, local training, and infrastructure support to people in underserved communities, according to the organization.

“With the help of Optos and other companies and practitioners who have signed up for the World Sight Day Challenge, Optometry Giving Sight is funding sustainable vision-care programs worldwide and bringing the gift of vision to those most in need,” said Mary Anne Murphy, OD, chairwoman of Optometry Giving Sight.

Industry sponsors of Optometry Giving Sight include the Brien Holden Vision Institute, CIBA Vision Corp., CooperVision, Marchon Eyewear Inc., Vision Source!, ABB Concise, AllAboutVision, Wolters Kluwer Pharma Solutions VisionCare Group, Transitions Optical, First Vision Media Group Inc., and the International Vision Expo & Conference.

World Sight Day is an initiative of Vision 2020: The Right to Sight. It is supported by the World Health Organization, the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and non-government organizations with the shared goal of eliminating avoidable blindness by 2020.

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