Bausch & Lomb donates US$1 million to Vision 2020

Bausch & Lomb will donate US$1 million to Vision 2020: The Right to Sight, in support of the quest to eliminate preventable and treatable blindness throughout the world by the year 2020. Bausch & Lomb is the first Corporate Patron of Vision 2020.

Vision 2020: The Right to Sight is a global initiative of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (Iapb) and the World Health Organization (Who), with a coalition of international Non-Governmental Organisations. Vision 2020 aims to eliminate unnecessary blindness in order to give all people in the world, particularly the millions of needlessly blind, The Right to Sight.

Dr. Gullapali N. Rao, Senior Vice President and President-Elect of Iapb/Vision 2020 explains: 'Eighty percent of the world's blindness is avoidable and the treatments available today are considered to be the most successful and effective of all health interventions. As an outstanding corporate citizen of the worldwide community, Bausch & Lomb has stepped forward with this generous donation to help bring the joy of sight to the people of the world'.

Bausch & Lomb's donation comes as the company, founded in Rochester, New York, in 1853, marks its 150-year anniversary. Ronald L. Zarrella, Bausch & Lomb Chairman and Ceo, said 'Our company was founded with one purpose: to improve the way people see. As part of our commitment to perfecting vision and enhancing life, we have joined with Iapb/Vision 2020 in this international effort to mobilize the resources of governments, care-giving organizations and industry to prevent blindness'.