In Southeast Asia, the Foundation focused on scaling equitable access to vision care through strong public-sector collaboration and locally rooted delivery models. Across the region, partnerships with policymakers, government agencies, healthcare institutions and local NGOs enabled vision care services to reach communities while strengthening local eye care systems.

In 2025, these efforts supported more than 300,000 wearers, each receiving a pair of eyeglasses.

Delivery was powered by dedicated colleagues who volunteered with us. Close to 30 vision clinics were organised across the region, made possible by volunteers from offices, manufacturing facilities, labs, retail teams and partner entities. These clinics provided tangible, on-the-ground impact while reinforcing a culture of participation and shared purpose.

Together, this work reflects a clear regional strategy: combine public-sector alignment, sustainable infrastructure and volunteer activation to provide lasting access - bringing vision care closer to communities across Southeast Asia.

Hear from Patricia Koh, Head of Southeast Asia on how we’re making a difference for the elderly community in Singapore:

In India, the Foundation focused on embedding vision care into public health and education systems at scale, aligned with the WHO SPECS 2030 framework. At the centre of this work is the Asha Kirana roll-out, which was developed with the Foundation as a technical partner to the Government of Karnataka and now expanded statewide.

Through this landmark commitment, 393 vision centres are being established within government hospitals and health facilities to serve the state’s 63 million residents, supported by the training of 40,000 ASHA workers to deliver door-to-door vision screenings.

Building on this success, the Foundation is working with the World Health Organization to extend the Asha Kirana model to India’s NITI Aayog aspirational blocks, positioning integrated vision care as a driver of inclusion and development in underserved regions. The programme has also attracted global attention, with the WHO expressing interest in documenting it as an emerging best practice in people-centred eye care.

Complementing this systems-led approach, the Foundation addressed vision needs linked to safety, mobility and livelihoods.

Our partnership with Sightsavers India delivered vision care to one million truck drivers nationwide, and we also worked with like-minded organizations to support the traffic police in Bengaluru with UV-protective eyewear. At the same time, we also expanded access to vision services during large-scale community moments such as the Netra Kumbh, where over 200,000 people were screened in just 50 days.

In parallel, the Foundation expanded its footprint through new collaborations, including with the Government of Arunachal Pradesh and the Tech Mahindra Foundation, while also delivering targeted programmes for populations often missed by formal systems, including indigenous communities in remote forest regions of Jharkhand, artisans in Kashmir, and migrant workers in unorganised sectors such as construction and agriculture.

Together, these efforts reflect a deliberate strategy: build strong public systems first, then layer targeted delivery to ensure no population is left behind due to poor vision.

The Head of the Foundation in India, KV Mahesh, shows us how vision care is embedded in the local healthcare facility, as part of the Asha Kirana program:

In China, the Foundation focused on leveraging national awareness moments to scale access to vision care while strengthening local delivery capacity.

Activities aligned with National Eye Care Day and World Sight Day served as platforms to mobilise partners, volunteers and communities around coordinated service delivery.

In the weeks leading up to World Sight Day, EssilorLuxottica and its Shanghai-based Vision Foundation hosted OneSight vision care clinics across multiple locations, bringing vision screenings and eyeglasses directly to communities in both urban and rural settings. These efforts formed part of a broader, multi-week activation designed to maximise reach and participation.

Delivery addressed vision needs across generations. In Yunnan Province, Foundation teams screened elderly residents and distributed reading glasses, restoring the ability to read, work and manage daily life. In remote areas of Sichuan, school-based screenings prioritised early detection, helping prevent vision issues from disrupting learning.

A strong emphasis was placed on sustainability. Alongside service delivery, the Foundation trained local ambassadors and healthcare workers to continue screenings and referrals independently, strengthening community-level ownership. Across the programme, over 6,000 children were screened, more than 1,600 prescription glasses were delivered to students, and 12,800 reading glasses reached elderly residents across rural counties.

Together, these efforts reflect a clear approach: use national platforms to mobilise action, deliver access at scale, and build local capacity for long-term impact.

Here’s how we made an impact on World Sight Day, as showcased to us by the Head of the Foundation in China, Kelly Zhu:

2025 Wrapped: Southeast Asia, India & China: Integrating Vision Care Into Public Systems

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