Johnson & Johnson Vision Expands "Sight For Kids" Program to Bring Eye Care to More Children and Unveils New "Vision for Good" Community Impact Report

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., and SANTA ANA, Calif., June 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Johnson & Johnson Vision,* a global leader in eye health and part of the Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies,** today announced the expansion of nonprofit program Sight For Kids. Co-founded in 2002, the program is a collaboration between the company and Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF) to close the gap in access to eye health for children in low income and underserved communities.

More than one billion people around the world are living with a vision impairment that is preventable or yet to be addressed, but don't have access to eye care and potentially life-changing treatment.ⁱ Additionally, the number of people experiencing blindness and visual impairment globally is expected to double by 2030 unless corrective measures are taken with visual impairments already affecting 19 million children.^{ii, iii} Children with early onset severe vision impairment often experience delayed motor, language, emotional, social and cognitive development.^iv

Click to Tweet: .@JNJVision and @lionsclubs are expanding "Sight For Kids" to provide free eye care for students in South Florida. The program is working to close the gap in access to eye health. Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3eKQKNO #VisionForGood

"Vision plays a critical role in early childhood development – from how we learn to how we interact with one another. Every child deserves a chance to grow up seeing the world clearly," said Shlomi Nachman,*** Company Group Chairman, Cardiovascular Specialty Solutions Group and Johnson & Johnson Vision. "At Johnson & Johnson Vision, we're extremely proud to be able to partner with the Lions Clubs International Foundation to bring eye care to the children who need it most through 'Sight For Kids.'"

"Sight For Kids" is the world's largest-known school-based eye health program. For nearly 20 years, the program has provided eye health education and access for over 37 million students in underserved communities globally. This is the first expansion of the program into the U.S. and is designed to benefit students across four counties in South Florida.

In collaboration with the Florida Heiken Children's Vision program, a division of Miami Lighthouse for the Blind, the program will bring quality, comprehensive eye health services and treatment to students in low-income and underserved communities across Miami-Dade, Broward, St. Lucie, and Palm Beach counties. "Sight For Kids" will provide no-cost eye exams and glasses to students with a goal of reaching an estimated 20,000 children across South Florida in its first year. The exams will be in full compliance with COVID-19 safety guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and the American Optometric Association.

"We're thrilled to have partnered with Johnson & Johnson Vision nearly 20 years ago to provide comprehensive eye health services to children in need around the world," said Gudrun Yngvadottir, Chairperson, Lions Clubs International Foundation. "The Sight For Kids U.S. program is yet another critical step in the right direction for many children who may otherwise have gone without eye care and treatment."

"Sight For Kids" is just one of the ways Johnson & Johnson Vision is working to do good in the world. In the just-released "Vision for Good" 2020 impact report, the Company provides further information on its partnership with Himalayan Cataract Project, commitment to sustainability, progress in creating a more equitable and inclusive world, helping communities, and much more.

Click to Tweet: At @JNJVision, we believe doing good goes beyond changing the trajectory of eye health. In our #VisionForGood 2020 impact report, learn how we're helping the planet, our communities, and more: https://bit.ly/3wzCxth

Learn more by following @JNJVision on Twitter, @JNJVision on Facebook, visiting the Johnson & Johnson Vision LinkedIn page, or exploring the Corporate Social Responsibility page.

About Johnson & Johnson Vision
At Johnson & Johnson Vision, part of Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies,** we have a bold ambition: to change the trajectory of eye health worldwide. Through our operating companies, we deliver innovation that enables eye care professionals to create better outcomes for patients throughout their lives, with products and technologies that address unmet needs including refractive error, cataracts, and dry eye. In communities with greatest need, we work in collaboration to expand access to quality eye care, and we are committed to helping people see better, connect better, live better. Visit us at jjvision.com, follow @JNJVision on Twitter, Johnson & Johnson Vision on LinkedIn, and @JNJVision on Facebook.

About Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies
At Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies, we are helping people live their best lives. Building on more than a century of expertise, we tackle pressing healthcare challenges, and take bold steps that lead to new standards of care while improving people's healthcare experiences. In surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions, we are helping to save lives and paving the way to a healthier future for everyone, everywhere.

*Johnson & Johnson Vision represents the products and services of Johnson & Johnson Surgical Vision, Inc., Johnson & Johnson Vision Care, Inc., and the affiliates of both.

**The Johnson & Johnson Medical Devices Companies comprise the surgery, orthopaedics, vision, and interventional solutions businesses within Johnson & Johnson's Medical Devices segment.

***Shlomi Nachman is an employee of Johnson & Johnson, serving as Company Group Chairman, with oversight of the Cardiovascular & Specialty Solutions Group and Johnson & Johnson Vision.

© Johnson & Johnson Vision, 2021. All rights reserved.
PP2021OTH5099 June 2021

ⁱ World report on vision. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2019. License: CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.

ⁱⁱ  Keep an Eye on Your Vision Health. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/visionhealth/resources/features/keep-eye-on-vision-health.html. Accessed   April 29, 2021.

ⁱⁱⁱ Hiroven M, Ojala R, Korhonen P, et al. Visual and Hearing Impairments After Preterm Birth. Pediatrics. 2018; 142(2): e20173888. https://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/pediatrics/142/2/e20173888.full.pdf. Accessed April 29, 2021.

^iv Blindness and vision impairment fact sheet. World Health Organization; 2021. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment. Accessed April 29, 2021.

SOURCE Johnson & Johnson Vision