JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Johnson & Johnson, a leader in eye health, announced that together with the Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), Sight For Kids has provided comprehensive eye health services to more than 50 million students in underserved and low-income communities across North America, Africa, Asia and Europe. Additionally, Sight For Kids will expand into new areas this year, including Atlanta, Georgia and Hong Kong, according to the announcement. The global impact was recently recognized at the 106th annual Lions International Convention in Melbourne, Australia, June 21-24, according to the announcement.

“Every child deserves to see the world clearly," said Peter Menziuso, company group chairman, vision, Johnson & Johnson. "Providing eye health to more than 50 million children across the world is an extraordinary achievement, and we are very proud to be working alongside lions clubs international foundation to transform even more lives through the expansion of our Sight For Kids program. We are committed to closing the gap between communities and care, so every child is empowered to live their best possible life. We look forward to increasing access to eyecare, and seeing the continued impact of Sight For Kids as we work to reach even more students and communities.”

Since 2002, Sight For Kids has provided free comprehensive eye screenings for entire schools, and trained more than 200,000 teachers globally to deliver eye health education, conduct visual acuity tests, and screen students for common eye conditions, according to the group. The program has also helped more than 650,000 students receive treatments and surgeries from eyecare professionals, while also providing more than 515,000 pairs of eyeglasses to students, Johnson & Johnson said.

According to the announcement, millions of children around the world lack access to essential vision care services and nearly 450 million children have a sight condition that needs treatment, with 90 million children living with some form of sight loss.

“Sight For Kids goes beyond providing essential eyecare services to millions of children worldwide; it also helps parents, teachers, and strengthens entire communities,” said Brian Sheehan, chairperson, Lions Clubs International Foundation. “I’ve had the opportunity to witness screening events firsthand and the collective impact they have on the daily well-being of the students. Together, with Johnson & Johnson, we can’t wait to see the continued success of this program.”

For more information about Sight For Kids, click here.