Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative

The Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative works with global partners to help restore sight and expand access to vision screenings, cataract surgeries, and eyeglasses for millions of people in the United States and low-and middle-income countries.

Spotlighting a Global Concern

Globally, an estimated one billion people live with untreated vision impairment, with many cases stemming from conditions that are both preventable and treatable, 90% of whom are in low- and middle-income countries. Left unaddressed, vision loss can limit learning, employment, and overall well-being, affecting multiple generations.

Treating Vision Impairment

In September 2025, Bloomberg Philanthropies announced a $75 million investment to help conduct vision screenings for 11.5 million people, distribute nearly seven million pairs of eyeglasses, and restore sight for 250,000 people through cataract surgeries. Through the initiative, these efforts are implemented by partners in multiple countries, including Bangladesh, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, and the United States. To date, the Initiative has invested $88 million to support partners globally, distributing more than one million pairs of eyeglasses, conducting 6.4 million vision screenings, and performing more than 114,000 cataract surgeries.

The initiative also invests in public education campaigns to raise awareness, reduce stigma, and increase demand, particularly around cataract surgery, which remains underutilized or mistrusted in some communities. In parallel, it will strengthen data systems to track patient outcomes and improve service quality.

We are working with partners to improve vision care through several approaches, including:

• Providing Vision Screenings and Distributing Eyeglasses:
  Sightsavers, RestoringVision, VisionSpring, Vision To Learn, and the Fred Hollows Foundation

• Restoring Sight Through Cataract Surgeries:
  Aravind Eye Care System, Orbis, and the Fred Hollows Foundation

• Data and Evaluation:
  Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Wilmer Eye Institute, and the World Health Organization

The global initiative includes a school-based vision care program with Vision To Learn, which provided more than 10,000 pairs of eyeglasses to students in Baltimore, MD, Boston, MA, Newark, NJ, and Washington, D.C. during the 2025–2026 school year. In September 2026, Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vision To Learn announced an expansion of the program to seven additional cities – Bakersfield, CA, Columbus, OH, Madison, WI, Philadelphia, PA, Riverside, CA, Sarasota, FL, and Des Moines, IA – bringing free vision screenings, eye exams, and eyeglasses to up to 50,000 students across 11 U.S. localities during the 2026–2027 school year. Warby Parker also provides eyeglasses in select locations through its “Pupils Project” program, and separately distributes eyeglasses through its “Buy a Pair, Give a Pair” program in low- and middle-income countries.