Context
Even though Colombia is the third most populous country in Latin America with an estimated population of 48,203,405, eye health is not considered as a priority in national health policies. As a result, eye health services are unevenly distributed throughout the country and difficult to access. The lack of eye health care in some areas has long-lasting negative consequences, especially for children.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), approximately 19 million children aged 15 and under have visual impairment, 12 million of whom suffer from refractive errors that could easily be diagnosed and corrected with glasses, bifocals and contact lenses.
The lack of eye care services in under-served communities is having long-lasting, negative consequences for our children.
Supported project
In 2018-2019, L'OCCITANE Colombia and the Foundation supported the projet of the Brien Holden Vision Institute Foundation. The aim of this project was to make sure that as many childre as possible got the eye care they needed, by facilitating access to eye care services at schools. The project included vision screenings, eye examinations, glasses and eye health promotion material and information to two primary schools in Bogota. The partner worked in partnership with the local schools, Ministry of Education and a local NGO partner Volver.
Some figures
Budget 10,000 euros
Results 8,044 beneficiaries
