Project Oversight has been designed as a catalyst to focus attention to the issue of the lack of access to vision correction in the developing world. Today, the best estimate is that 2.5 BILLION people suffer from poor vision and for more than 90%, a vision screening and an affordable pair of glasses would restore their ability to drive safely, see a computer screen clearly or thread a needle along with countless numbers of other tasks requiring good vision.
Over the coming year, the Project Oversight Challenge aims to harness the best thinking to redefine the future using new tools, including smartphone based diagnostics and data collection, increasingly ubiquitous connectivity and adjustable power glasses, along with new delivery models to meet an objective of universal access to vision correction by 2040. The success of Vision for a Nation in Rwanda gives us the confidence to advocate for this better outcome.