The Essilor Group has put its expertise at the service of good vision in designing, manufacturing and distributing quality products and services through innovative business models. Today we provide solutions to correct and protect the visual health of the 7.4 billion people in the world.
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Policy, standards and regulations
80% of what children learn is perceived through their eyes; glasses can therefore have a huge impact on their educational outcomes. Essilor advocates at global and national level to make vision a priority in school health programmes. Essilor’s social impact fund, Vision for Life, is co-founder of Our Children’s Vision, a global coalition of more than 75 partners who have collectively committed to bring eye health services to at least 50 million children worldwide by 2020. The coalition has also developed a comprehensive set of Standard School Eye Health Guidelines which include of recommendations to be integrated in general child-health policies and can help facilitate school eye health programmes.
Skills development for decent work
Create 25,000 primary vision care providers and micro-entrepreneurs in underserved areas to generate employment and alleviate poverty by 2020. In partnership with various local training institutions, Essilor trains young under-employed or unemployed youth to become primary vision care providers. They are then able to set up a micro-enterprise providing eye care services and dispense eyeglasses to members of their communities. 10,000 of the people trained will become Vision Ambassadors who will be able to sell readymade eyeglasses (reading glasses) and sunglasses to members of rural communities who don’t have access to conventional distribution channels.
Timeframe and/or implementation plan: 2013 to 2020
Other
Improve the lives of 50 million individuals at the “base of the pyramid” through vision correction by 2020. Uncorrected refractive error has a direct impact on productivity and earning potential; according to the WHO, every year uncorrected poor vision costs the global economy $272 billion in lost productivity. (Smith et al, 2009 adjusted to 2015 population data). Thus, for every person provided with corrective glasses, the increase in productivity for the global economy is estimated to be more than $100. Therefore, our 2020 commitment will result in an estimated gain in global productivity of more than $5 billion per year.
Timeframe and/or implementation plan: 2013 to 2020
Commitment to the Vision Catalyst Fund spearheaded by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust to eradicate poor vision by 2050. Essilor is one of the first strategic partners who committed their support to the $1bn Vision Catalyst Fund, launched in March 2018. This commitment will help create systems and partnerships that can bring vision care to the most vulnerable across the commonwealth countries and beyond. As part of the commitment, Essilor will also donate 200 million pairs of ophthalmic lenses by 2030 through the fund’s initiatives to help those most in need.