The Hindu News Update Service default/empty News Update Service Sunday, June 29, 2008 : 1030 Hrs Top Stories International body raises $200 bn for blindness eradication
Bangkok (PTI): As part of a major drive aimed at treating and preventing blindness among people globally, a leading independent organisation has raised more than USD 200 billion, a major chunk of which will be used in India. "There are 37 million visually-challenged people all over the world and India alone has nine million of them," the Lions Clubs International Foundation's (LCIF) president Mahendra Amarasuriya said here. The funds collected by the body by way of donation will be utilised to treat eye-related ailments through the second phase of an ambitious eye care project "Sight First", he announced. Earlier, USD 143 billion was raised during the first phase of the 'Sight First' programme in 1991. A Mumbai-based family donated USD 3 million towards the SF II project, which would be used to set up four eye-related hospitals in all four regions (North, South, West and East) of India, they told PTI. Since 'Sight First's' inception, LCIF has supported more than one million cataract surgeries in India alone, said Amarasuriya, a Sri Lankan. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe send a message to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with the subject unsubscribe. To change your subscription to digest mode or make any other changes, please visit the list home page at http://accessindia.org.in/mailman/listinfo/accessindia_accessindia.org.in
