ZEISS highlights the importance of access to eye care on World Sight Day 2026

Aalen, Germany | 06 October 2026 | ZEISS Vision Care

On World Sight Day, 8 October 2026, ZEISS reaffirms its commitment to protect and improve vision and lifetime visual health worldwide. Through innovations in ophthalmology and vision technology as well as the support of initiatives in underserved regions, the company contributes to expanding access to quality eye care.

According to the World Health Organization, at least 2.2 billion people worldwide have a near or distance vision impairment. For at least one billion of them, the impairment could have been prevented or has yet to be addressed. Access remains a major challenge: an estimated two out of three people in low-income countries who need eyeglasses do not have access to them, while one in two people worldwide who need cataract surgery cannot access it. The annual global cost of lost productivity associated with vision impairment is estimated at US$411 billion.¹

“Around the world, millions of people face barriers to accessing the eye care they need. It’s one of the most important healthcare challenges of our time. At ZEISS, we believe that addressing this challenge requires close collaboration with ophthalmologists, healthcare providers, and partners who share our commitment to better patient outcomes. The combined strengths between ZEISS Medical Technology and ZEISS Consumer Markets give ZEISS a unique advantage in the market. Few companies can match our ability to unite medical and consumer eye care expertise, creating a seamless ecosystem which supports our commitment to advancing vision and ophthalmic care from prevention and diagnosis to treatment and lifelong vision correction,” says Andreas Völker, Head of the Ophthalmology Strategic Business Unit, ZEISS Medical Technology.

This commitment is reflected in numerous initiatives supported by ZEISS and its partners around the world. Two recent projects in Asia and the Caribbean illustrate how locally tailored approaches can help expand access to eye care.

Aloka Vision Programme: Social business, not charity

In India, the Aloka Vision Programme follows a social-business approach. Its core idea is to create a self-sustaining and self-growing system that can expand access to quality eye care for underserved communities and schoolchildren over the long term. Between April 2025 and March 2026, its programs screened more than 1.9 million people and distributed 23,985 pairs of spectacles. Working with local partners and qualified optometrists, the program combines community and school-based screenings with refraction, the provision of free spectacles, eye-health education, and referrals for further medical or surgical treatment.

“At ZEISS, helping people see better is at the center of what we do. Through our innovations in eye care and vision technology, we improve visual health for people every day. Yet despite the progress made in eye care, millions of people around the world still lack access to the services they need. To address this, ZEISS founded and continues to support the Aloka Vision Programme, helping expand quality eye care in underserved regions. Through its program approximately one million people in India and Nepal benefit from access to eye care each year. On this World Sight Day, we invite others to join us in advancing access to eye care and improving visual health worldwide,” says Benjamin Viering, COO & CTO Strategic Business Unit ZEISS Vision Care, ZEISS Consumer Markets.

Sight for Life Partnership: local effort with global support

In St. Vincent and the Grenadines, ZEISS Medical Technology supported a team from Sight for Life with equipment and intraocular lenses (IOLs), enabling them to provide both surgical and non-surgical eye care during a week-long initiative supported by ZEISS. The team performed more than 90 glaucoma, pterygium, and cataract surgeries and delivered more than 700 non-surgical treatments. Each surgery, each patient seen by Sight for Life represented restored vision and renewed hope for someone and the family who depends on them on the island.

Guided by the mission of World Sight Day, ZEISS Medical Technology and ZEISS Consumer Markets continue to invest in the optical, diagnostic, and digital innovations that are transforming eye care today, working collaboratively across the industry to help shape a future where eye care is more connected and data driven, supporting our ambition to bring the promise of healthier vision to more people by empowering eye and health care professionals, contributing to improved outcomes, and helping more people access quality eye care around the world.

To learn more about World Sight Day 2026 and how ZEISS is helping to create better vision for people around the world, go to ZEISS supports World Sight Day 2026.

References and notes

^{(1) https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment}

Press contact Karla Übele

ZEISS Vision Care

About ZEISS

ZEISS is an internationally leading technology enterprise operating in the fields of optics and optoelectronics. In the previous fiscal year, the ZEISS Group generated annual revenue totaling almost 12 billion euros in its four segments Semiconductor Manufacturing Technology, Industrial Quality & Research, Medical Technology, and Consumer Markets (September 30, 2025).

For its customers, ZEISS develops, produces, and distributes highly innovative solutions for industrial metrology and quality assurance, microscopy solutions for the life sciences and materials research, and medical technology solutions for diagnostics and treatment in ophthalmology and microsurgery. The name ZEISS is also synonymous with the world's leading lithography optics, which are used by the chip industry to manufacture semiconductor components. There is global demand for trendsetting ZEISS brand products such as eyeglass lenses, camera lenses, and binoculars.

With a portfolio aligned with future growth areas like digitalization, healthcare, and Smart Production and a strong brand, ZEISS is shaping the future of technology and constantly advancing the world of optics and related fields with its solutions. The company's significant, sustainable investments in research and development lay the foundation for the success and continued expansion of ZEISS' technology and market leadership. ZEISS invests 14 percent of its revenue in research and development – this high level of expenditure has a long tradition at ZEISS and is also an investment in the future.

With over 47,400 employees, ZEISS is active globally in around 50 countries with more than 60 sales and service locations, around 40 research and development facilities, and 30 production facilities worldwide (March 31, 2026). Founded in 1846 in Jena, the company is headquartered in Oberkochen, Germany. The Carl Zeiss Foundation, one of the largest foundations in Germany committed to the promotion of science, is the sole owner of the holding company, Carl Zeiss AG.

Further information at www.zeiss.com

ZEISS Vision Care

ZEISS Vision Care, part of ZEISS Consumer Markets segment, develops and manufactures comprehensive solutions for the entire value chain of ophthalmic optics. The portfolio includes top-quality eyeglass lenses, partner programs, ophthalmic instruments, services, digital solutions and apps for both eye care professionals and consumers, as well as care products for the eye and beyond. As one of the world's leading manufacturers of eyeglass lenses, ZEISS is focused on optimal visual comfort and individualized vision solutions. With a passion for innovation and quality, ZEISS Vision Care is committed to protecting and enhancing people's vision and contributing to lifelong visual health.