Oct. 20, 2021 —Aligning with Hoya Vision Care’s Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) program—designed to bridge the vision care gap—the company recently announced that it has partnered with Orbis International, an organization that mentors, trains, and inspires eyecare professionals to save sight in their communities.

Specifically, Hoya will support Orbis International in its its mission to address vision inequality by promoting eyecare services, providing communities across the world with access to sight-saving interventions, and increasing eye-health literacy and education. Included in Orbis International’s initiatives is the REACH (Refractive Error Among Children) program, in which Orbis works with partner hospitals to train teachers to perform basic eye exams in order to allow a greater access for students to in-school vision care. The program is based in India and Nepal and has a specific focus on young women, who are less likely to seek care, shares the organization.

“Our partnership with Orbis is an excellent first step to implement Hoya’s social vision and enact genuine, positive change for vision care around the world,” says Alexandre Montague, CEO of Hoya. “We hope that together we can go beyond solving short-term vision issues and make a long-term impact globally. At Hoya, we have the ability and responsibility to make a difference."

Hoya will also contribute knowledge to Cybersight, Orbis International’s online learning platform designed to promote eye health skills and enable ECPS in low- and middle-income nations to treat and prevent blindness and visual impairment. 

“We are excited to benefit from the knowledge of Hoya’s employees and eyecare professionals which will help raise greater awareness about vision inequality in communities around the world,” says Derek Hodkey, president and CEO of Orbis International. “We hope that, together, we can make a larger impact than ever before.”

Hoya shares that it will continue to unveil its CSR initiatives and partnerships in the coming months.