Karachi: Standard Chartered Celebrated World Sight Day on 8 October across its countries. With a focus on alleviating avoidable blindness, Standard Chartered, since the launch of the Seeing is Believing programme in 2004, has invested approximately USD 3.359million in Pakistan. The Bank’s efforts have resulted in a 20per cent reduction in cataract blindness in Pakistan. In recognition of the Bank’s efforts, the Government of Pakistan has also made Standard Chartered a partner of the National Steering Committee for Eye Health.
The Bank has led various Seeing is Believing initiatives in the country for over 11 years, touching close to 11.5million lives in this endeavour. Additionally, various projects, related to Seeing is Believing have ranged from: training over 60,000 lady health care workers, to distributing over 100,000 pairs of eye glasses and to screening 1.5million children’s eye sights across the country.
In addition to this, the Bank has invested USD1million across 3 districts (Karachi, Lahore, and Rawalpindi) to treat men and women who are known diabetics, for Sight Threatening Diabetic Retinopathy (STDR). It is estimated that this new programme will reach out to approximately 1million direct and indirect beneficiaries.
Commenting on this occasion Ms. Khadija Hashimi, Head of Corporate Affairs, Standard Chartered Pakistan said, “Through our Seeing is Believing programme, we have touched the lives of over 11.5million people across Pakistan, as we work towards eradicating avoidable blindness in the country. Through our staff, partners and client network, we hope to continue raising awareness of the issue and working towards better health for the Pakistani community.”
Our work under the Pakistan Seeing is Believing programmes demonstrates our commitment to work with partners in the public and private sector towards the New Sustainable Development Goals endorsed by world Leaders at the United Nations in September 2015. More specifically these initiatives’ all form our pledge towards ensuring global goal number 3 i.e. Good health. Standard Chartered is one of selected leading global companies who are a founding partner with the United Nations as they endorsed a new set of development targets.
Seeing is Believing highlights:
Seeing is Believing is Standard Chartered’s global programme to help eliminate avoidable blindness run in partnership with the International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB). In Pakistan, our highlights include:
· Total investment of Seeing is Believing in Pakistan: USD3.359million
· 11.5million beneficiaries to date
· Screened 1.5million children across five major cities of Pakistan
