Mark Sachs

As optical professionals, your livelihood is providing good vision. Because good vision is your life's work, it is only natural that you would be interested in supporting good vision around the world. There is a tremendous need for help with vision in Under Developed Countries (UDCs). Because of your unique position, you can make a significant difference in the lives of people around the world. And, serve as an unofficial ambassador of the U.S.

According to World Health Organization's VISION 2020 - The Right to Sight, there are 37 million blind people in the world (90 percent of them in UDCs) and 124 million with low vision. Some 1.4 million children under the age of 15 are blind. Every five seconds another person and every minute another child goes blind. Fortunately, 75 percent of blindness is treatable and/or preventable.

The United Nations estimates that 1.6 billion people in UDCs lack proper visioncare and only 5 percent of them have access to affordable options.

There are 1.3 billion people over the age of 40 in UDCs. Most of them have, or are developing, presbyopia. Because most earn a living with their hands, this impacts their ability to provide for their families.

Each of you must decide the level of involvement you feel comfortable with. If you are an OD, MD or optician, you can use your knowledge to actually go to a UDC. If you have other skills, they may also be needed. If you are a supplier, your excess or seconds can be extremely valuable to someone in an UDC. You can also support an organization that works to address these problems as a volunteer or with a financial donation.

Expect to pay your way for these trips. But anyone who's been on a mission will tell you the rewards are well worth the time and expense.

Volunteer in Optical Service to Humanity (VOSH.org) is the largest OD organization going on missions to UDCs. They have independent chapters in most states and optometric colleges. Their web site lists upcoming missions and contacts.

Remote Area Medical (ramusa.org) does trips within the U.S. and in UDCs. Rotary Club (rotary.org) has a place on their site to list yourself as a volunteer.

Surgical Eye Expeditions (seeint.org) is looking for MDs to go to UDCs. They will often partner with an OD mission to provide more complete visual care.

MEDICO (medico.org) takes medical teams exclusively to Honduras.

Medical Ministries International (mmint.org) is a Christian-based organization with both one- and two-week medical missions.

SEVA (seva.org) is looking for ECPs to volunteer.

It makes good sense to support an organization that is consistent with your values. All of the organizations listed above would welcome a financial contribution. In addition, other organizations such as Helen Keller (hki.org), Unite for Sight (uniteforsight.org), Scojo (scojofoundation.org), LensCrafters Gift of Sight (givethegiftofsight.org) and PRVAIL (restoring vision.org) provide visioncare in UDCs and are worth further investigation.

There are many people around the world who need vision help and cannot receive it. You are fortunate enough to be able to provide it. nn

Mark Sachs, an optical consultant, is founder and director of PRVAIL (People Restoring Vision and Improving Lives) a nonprofit organization that provides reading glasses and sunglasses to groups going on missions to UDCs. Financial donations, readers (new) or sunglasses (new) are appreciated. Their web site is restoringvision.org.