VCF and World Bank Group launch landmark eye health partnership
Vision Catalyst Fund and World Bank Group announce a partnership to transform how eye health is financed globally. $2.2 million investment will unlock greater investment in eye health
NAIROBI, June 5, 2026: A new partnership between the World Bank Group and the Vision Catalyst Fund, working alongside leading global eye health organizations, aims to transform how eye health is financed by helping countries move from short-term projects to sustainable, nationally led programs and investments at scale. More than one billion people living with avoidable vision loss could benefit. The initiative will support countries in integrating eye care into health systems and positioning vision as a driver of economic growth, jobs, education, and human capital development. Uncorrected vision loss costs low- and middle-income countries an estimated $1.1 trillion in lost productivity every year, equivalent to 1.2% of their combined gross national income. Yet eye health receives less than 1% of health budgets in many of these same countries, despite accounting for up to 10% of patient consultations. Moreover, people with vision loss are 30% less likely to be employed, and the consequences for children's learning and lifetime earnings compound the burden further. The solutions exist and are among the most cost-effective in global health, but financing has not matched the scale of need. The Vision Catalyst Fund’s $2.2 million investment in the World Bank Group’s Health Systems Transformation and Resilience Multi-Donor Trust Fund will help countries unlock greater investment through catalytic financing. It will be formally announced today at the IAPB’s 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE event in Nairobi, Kenya.
Adam Askew, Chief Executive of the Vision Catalyst Fund, said:
“Eye care is one of the most cost-effective investments in development, with clear and immediate returns for individuals, communities, and economies. The challenge is not evidence; it is financing. What we are building with the World Bank Group is a model that
can unlock significantly larger investment by working through national systems and budgets, moving from short-term projects to long-term, sustainable financing at scale.” This shift toward financing at scale reflects the World Bank Group’s broader focus on linking
health to economic outcomes.
Monique Vledder, Director, Health, World Bank Group, said:
“Vision loss is not just a health issue; it is a barrier to learning, working, and earning. Restoring and protecting sight directly supports our goal of generating more and better jobs. This partnership is an important part of the World Bank Group’s goal to expand access
to health services for 1.5 billion people by 2030.”
Catalytic investment to unlock scale
The partnership has been made possible by early Vanguard investment from CBM Christian Blind Mission, Cure Blindness Project and The Fred Hollows Foundation, who have each committed catalytic funding through the Vision Catalyst Fund to help establish the platform
and move the model into its first phase.
Together, Vanguard partners have committed over $2 million to the World Bank Group’s Health Systems Transformation and Resilience Multi-Donor Trust Fund to support the development of a new financing pathway for eye health. Their investment is designed to do
more than fund activities directly: it provides the early capital needed to engage countries and build the evidence base to unlock larger flows of financing in the future through governments, the World Bank Group and aligned funding streams.
This shared commitment reflects a belief that lasting progress will only be achieved by working through national systems, aligning with government priorities, and embedding eye care within broader health and development programmes.
Dr Rainer Brockhaus, Chief Executive of CBM Christian Blind Mission, said:
“Lasting change in eye health will only come when services are fully integrated into national systems and financed through sustainable domestic and international mechanisms. Our investment in the Vision Catalyst Fund is about helping to unlock that shift, supporting
governments and partners to move from project-based delivery to long-term, system-wide impact.”
K-T Overbey, CEO of Cure Blindness Project, added:
“We have seen that lasting progress in eye health depends not only on expanding access and building capacity, but also on strengthening national systems and financing, so countries can deliver impact at scale. By working through governments and alongside the World Bank
Group, this model creates a pathway to reach millions more people, while helping build the foundation for sustainable impact over time.”
Ross Piper, CEO of The Fred Hollows Foundation, said:
"Fred Hollows believed that people in every country deserved the same quality of eye care, and that the way to achieve that was to build local skills, local systems, and local ownership. This partnership carries that spirit forward. By working through governments and national
health plans and training the workforce needed to deliver at scale — we can ensure eye care is not dependent on external funding cycles but becomes a permanent, self-sustaining part of how countries invest in their people."
Global momentum and leadership
The initiative builds toward the 2026 Global Summit for Eye Health in Antigua and Barbuda, which will bring together Heads of State, Ministers of Finance and Health, and development partners to secure political and financial commitments.
Peter Holland, Chief Executive of the IAPB, said:
“Eye health is a clear development ‘best buy’, delivering returns across education, employment, and economic growth. The Value of Vision report shows that for every US$1 invested, US$28 is returned. This partnership with the World Bank Group is a major step toward ensuring eye care is fully integrated into national development strategies and financing frameworks.”
Andrew Bastawrous, co-founder & Board member of the Vision Catalyst Fund, said:
“The Sightless Among Miracles” statue at the World Bank Group, one of only three in the world commemorating the fight against River Blindness, is more than a monument. It is a reminder of what becomes possible when the world refuses to accept avoidable suffering as
inevitable. It tells a story of partnership, persistence, and progress across generations. What we are building together now is the next chapter of that story. The solutions for avoidable sight loss already exist, but they still remain out of reach for too many people. By
working with governments, aligning financing, and embedding eye health within national systems, we have a chance to turn proven solutions into lasting change. This is about moving from knowing what works to making it work for everyone, at scale, and
for the long term as a permanent part of how health systems help people learn, work, and thrive.”