NEW YORK—Eyecare nonprofit Orbis International announced a renewed three-year partnership with Hoya Vision Care which will focus on helping school children get access to eyecare in low- to middle-income countries. The partnership will also center on training eyecare professionals around the world through Cybersight, Orbis’s telemedicine and e-learning platform. Over the next three years, Hoya's contribution will enable Orbis to screen more than 500,000 children and provide more than 15,000 eyeglasses as part of the REACH (Refractive Error Among Children) program in India.

REACH aims to reduce visual impairment due to uncorrected refractive error among school-going children and provide a sustainable and scalable solution to a shortage of care for this issue. Orbis develops teams of ophthalmic personnel and supports them with digital and clinical equipment to perform screenings and provide spectacles. The teams also provide referrals for children who require further examination and treatment to an Orbis partner hospital or to the nearest vision center.

“A simple pair of spectacles is often all it takes to open a world of opportunities to someone,” said Dr. Rishi Raj Borah, country director, Orbis India. “Our partnership with Hoya Vision Care has been instrumental in bringing eye health services within children's reach and enabling them to realize their potential. We are excited to continue this partnership to further expand our outreach and impact, and touch many more lives over the next few years."

“Improving vision over a lifetime, that is our mission at Hoya Vision Care. And for that reason, we are excited to partner with Orbis, in India and beyond. This partnership takes us another step in the direction of closing the vision health gap, enabling everyone to experience the gift of sight,” added Alexandre Montague, CEO, Hoya Vision Care.

Hoya Vision Care will also work with Orbis to support vision centers in India, which make eyecare accessible in rural communities. Hoya's support will directly impact four vision centers and the three partner hospitals associated with them. Hoya also plans to support further expansion of vision centers in the future. Hoya Vision Care has partnered with Orbis since 2021 and was a key player in the REACH team’s ability to pivot to a new and innovative door-to-door screening model when schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic.