With support from the Johnson & Johnson Foundation during the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health in Antigua and Barbuda, Johnson & Johnson announced a global commitment to expand access to eye care through vision screenings, cataract surgery, product donations, and technology development. The initiative builds on existing partnerships that have provided vision screenings and care to nearly 60 million children and helped restore sight to more than 70,000 cataract patients, the company said in a press release.

The summit is cohosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), and supported by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

According to Johnson & Johnson, more than 2 billion people worldwide are living with poor vision, including more than 1 billion whose vision loss could have been prevented or treated. In the press release, the company cited research that indicated more than 90% of vision loss cases are preventable or treatable through interventions such as eyeglasses and cataract surgery. “Vision shapes how we learn, work, and experience the world around us, yet too many people are living with vision impairment that could be prevented or treated with access to quality eye care,” said Jacqueline Henderson, company group chair, Vision, Johnson & Johnson, in the press release.

The company's commitment includes continued support for several initiatives:

• The Sight For Kids program provides free school-based vision screenings and care, including eyeglasses. The program has reached nearly 60 million children since it was established in 2002 with the Lions Clubs International Foundation.

• Partnerships with organizations including SEE International have helped provide sight-restoring surgery to more than 70,000 patients while expanding cataract care capacity in underserved communities.

• Johnson & Johnson will continue donating intraocular lenses and other vision care products. Donations of surgical kits, ophthalmic equipment, and simulation tools also support ophthalmic training through the company's support of the Cure Blindness Project.

• J&J Impact Ventures, an investment fund within the J&J Foundation, is supporting Phelcom Technologies in developing and scaling affordable, handheld retinal imaging technology for screening and diagnosis in low-resource settings.

• Johnson & Johnson also plans to continue working with IAPB to promote eye health as a public health priority and advocate for its inclusion in national and global health agendas.

The initiatives are part of J&J CareCommunity, the company's global social impact platform that focuses on expanding access to cardiovascular, surgical, and vision care.