The Missing Piece in Health Architecture Unlocking Clear Sight
Presbyopia affects 1.8 billion adults over the age of 40 globally — yet nearly 800 million people remain excluded from work and productivity opportunities simply because they lack access to basic eyeglasses. In this session from Devex Impact House @ WHA, Abigail Steinberg, executive director of the Eyeglasses Initiative at the Livelihood Impact Fund, shares why vision care should be viewed not only as a health issue but also as a critical driver of livelihoods, workforce participation, and economic development. The session examines how access to reading glasses can improve quality of life, strengthen trust in community healthcare systems, and connect people to additional health services — while also challenging global health leaders to rethink where vision care fits within broader health and development priorities.