Right now, there there are 285 million people worldwide who are blind or suffering from vision loss. At least 80%
of them don’t have to be.
Two billion people worldwide suffer from malnutrition. Each year an estimated 6.6 million children die before celebrating their fifth birthday, with
about half of these deaths due to poor nutrition.
There is a group of infectious diseases that many in the developed world rarely encounter or hear about. These Neglected Tropical Diseases, often referred to as Diseases of Poverty,
effect one in six people around the world, including half a billion children, and cause about 500,000 deaths each year.
Christian is a scholarship student taking AP classes in Corona, Queens. He is also extremely nearsighted and requires new prescription glasses
almost every year, something his family cannot afford. Here, he shares how ChildSight® has given him access to clear vision, which has allowed
him to excel in school.
Helen Keller International presented The Spirit of Helen Keller Award to Bill and Melinda Gates at the 2015 Spirit of Helen Keller Gala in New York on May 18, 2015. The award was given in recognition of their their transformational leadership, efforts in reducing malnutrition and hunger, and focus on empowering women as co-chairs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The award was established in 1959, during Helen Keller’s lifetime, to honor those whose work embraces the legacy of courage and promise of our founder. Video by WireImage.
Chronically high blood sugar from diabetes is associated with damage to the tiny blood vessels in the retina, leading to diabetic retinopathy. The retina detects light and converts it to signals sent through the optic nerve to the brain. Diabetic retinopathy can cause blood vessels in the retina to leak fluid or hemorrhage (bleed), distorting vision. In its most advanced stage, new abnormal blood vessels proliferate (increase in number) on the surface of the retina, which can lead to scarring and cell loss in the retina. It is the most common cause of vision loss among people with diabetes and the leading cause of vision impairment and blindness among working-age adults
