Cleary: How a 700-year old invention can change the world for ever
By (Author) James Chen
Biteback Publishing
Biteback Publishing
1st February 2018
United Kingdom
General
Non Fiction
Ophthalmology
Hardback
288
Width 161mm, Height 240mm, Spine 35mm
702g
Poor vision is the largestunaddressed disability in the world today. An estimated 2.5 billion people,mostly living in the poorest parts of the planet and a majority of which arewomen, cannot see clearly and have no access to treatment. Yet for 80% of the2.5 billion, all they need is a simple pair of prescription spectacles.
Tacklingthis problem wouldunlock billions of dollars in productivity gains. It would give young people abetter chance in school, help women live better lives, and is critical toeliminating poverty. However, despite the potentially huge return oninvestment, basic eyecare is low in the list of priorities for poorcountries and donors. In this extraordinary book, businessman andphilanthropist James Chen asks why this should be, and describes his mission tohelp the world to see.
InBlurredVisionChen reveals the personal stories of some of those afflictedand identifies the barriers to delivering access to glasses for all. Hedelivers a passionate call to governments to act and calls on business,technology and medicine to come together and find a solution to this globalproblem.
James Chen was born in Hong Kong and is the third generation in a family of successful businessmen and entrepreneurs, having learnt his trade at the feet of his father and grandfather. In 2011 he set up the charity Vision for a Nation in Rwanda with the aim of providing nationwide access to eye care and affordable glasses to a country of 12 million people. A stunning success, eyecare services are due to reach 15,000 villages across the country by the end of 2017. In 2016 he launched Clearly, a global campaign to enable access to glasses for everyone in the world who needs them.