Alcon, the global leader in eye care and a division of Novartis, directly supported eye health by donating nearly $65 million in cash and products to support medical missions and community organizations as well as eye exams, glasses, ophthalmic care and patient awareness programs in 2017. To further educate consumers about the importance of regular eye care, Alcon also announced its continuing commitment to the Think About Your Eyes consumer education campaign for the fourth year in a row, with an additional $2 million donation in 2018.  

“For 50 years, Alcon has created sustainable access to eye care through our charitable giving efforts, because we believe everyone deserves the gift of sight regardless of their ability to pay,” said Sergio Duplan, Region President, North America, Alcon and Alcon Foundation board member. “We are proud that this commitment has resulted in thousands of medical missions providing eye exams, surgeries and other treatments for millions of people around the world.”

In 2017, the Alcon Foundation provided cash grants of $3.5 million to support various programs that provide care and education for all major ocular conditions, including cataracts, diabetic retinopathy and refractive error. Through Alcon Cares, the company supported 554 medical missions with $61 million of donated products that resulted in 35,000 eye surgeries and eye care services to 400,000 patients worldwide. 

As part of its 2017 product donations, Alcon Cares answered the call of US-based patients impacted by natural disasters by providing more than $1.2 million of vision care products. This included replacement contact lenses and lens care solutions for nearly 1,000 victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, as well as eye drops to first responders fighting the California wildfires.

In 2018, Alcon will continue its support of Think About Your Eyes (TAYE) with an additional $2 million donation, bringing the company’s total donation to more than $8 million since 2014. Alcon is the first major contact lens manufacturer to support TAYE, a national campaign presented by The Vision Council and the American Optometric Association, which is designed to educate the public about the benefits of eye health and promote the importance of annual comprehensive eye exam. In 2017, the Think About Your Eyes campaign led to an estimated 1.4 million eye exams.

For more information on Alcon’s partnerships and corporate giving efforts, please visit the Corporate Responsibility section of Alcon.com. Eye care professionals interested in having their practice listed on the Think About Your Eyes doctor locator and accessing digital banners for use on their practice websites, should visit ThinkAboutYourEyes.com.