Campaign Sight First IIIt’s a stark fact. By the time you finish reading this page, a child somewhere in the world will have gone blind. One child goes blind every minute. Half-a-million will have lost their sight by the end of the year. Childhood blindness is only one part of the global vision crisis. If nothing is done, experts say that the world’s blind population could double from 37 million to 74 million by 2020. But Lions will not allow that to happen. True to their commitment as “knights of the blind,” Lions have launched Campaign SightFirst II to prevent this tragedy. CSFII has set out to raise at least US$150 million to continue and expand the extraordinary work of SightFirst, Lions worldwide program to combat preventable blindness. US$6: is the average cost to save one person from blindness through Campaign SightFirst II. The Work of SightFirst The World Needs CSFII Cataract, a disease closely tied to aging, remains the world’s leading cause of blindness. Childhood blindness and low vision are at an all-time high. River blindness and trachoma, which take the sight of millions, can be controlled, but increased global awareness and funding are required. Diabetes and glaucoma silently stalk the vision of millions who may not even know that they are at risk. SightFirst has a three-part strategy to prevent the world’s blind population from doubling to 2020. The SightFirst approach defines the goals of CSFII. US$150 million minimum goal will: Goal 1 (US$102 million): contain and possibly eliminate the leading causes of avoidable blindness. Goal 3 (US$50 million challenge goal): provide “Vision for All” through research, rehabilitation, and out-reach to vulnerable populations.
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