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Spotlight on Visual Health: António Champalimaud Vision Award 2025

On September 12, 2025, the Champalimaud Foundation proudly announced the recipients of the António Champalimaud Vision Award 2025. This year, the award highlights three remarkable organizations making significant strides in the global fight against blindness: The Fred Hollows Foundation, Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF), and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB).

The António Champalimaud Vision Award is revered as the world's largest accolade in vision health, with a staggering prize of one million euros. This honor is conferred upon institutions whose work exemplifies scientific excellence, global impact, and a commitment to justice in the field of vision health.

Champions of Vision Health

The Fred Hollows Foundation

Founded in 1992, The Fred Hollows Foundation has been instrumental in restoring sight to marginalized communities around the globe. The foundation is particularly noted for its close collaborations with Aboriginal Australians, Torres Strait Islanders, and various Pacific nations. Over the years, it has successfully restored vision to more than eight million people through over 560,000 surgical operations, distributed more than 178,000 eyeglasses, and trained over 66,000 individuals in eye care practices.

Lions Clubs International Foundation (LCIF)

With a mission to alleviate blindness around the globe, LCIF has provided eye care services to more than 544 million people across 118 countries through its SightFirst program. This initiative has trained over 2.6 million eye care professionals and facilitated the establishment of more than 1,700 eye care centers worldwide. In 2024 alone, SightFirst supported over 10,500 cataract surgeries and conducted 54,000 eye examinations, preventing severe visual impairment in approximately 30 million individuals.

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB)

The IAPB operates as a leading global platform for eye health, uniting over 250 member organizations in more than 100 countries. Its strategic focus includes advocacy, policy development, and partnership facilitation, which have been crucial in shaping the global agenda on vision health. Recently, IAPB has initiated a project to develop standard guidelines for comprehensive school eye health programs, poised to benefit around 700 million children worldwide.

The Importance of Vision Health

The collective efforts of these organizations underscore the critical need for enhanced access to eye care services globally. With an alarming number of individuals still facing preventable blindness, these institutions are shining beacons of hope, advocating for innovative solutions and policy changes that foster equitable eye health.

In addition to recognizing excellence, the António Champalimaud Vision Award emphasizes the necessity of ongoing collaboration and commitment within the global health community. By uplifting these organizations, we reflect on the valuable contributions they have made, while inspiring future efforts to tackle the challenges related to vision loss.

As we celebrate the achievements and initiatives of the award winners, we look forward to more advancements in the field of eye health. The ongoing engagement of organizations like The Fred Hollows Foundation, LCIF, and IAPB is vital to ensuring that vision care is accessible and equitable for all communities across the globe.

In conclusion, the António Champalimaud Vision Award stands not only as a recognition of outstanding contributions to eye health but also as a rallying call for collective action against blindness. As the global health landscape evolves, the commitment to vision health must remain steadfast, driving progress toward a world where everyone enjoys the gift of sight.