Press Releases
Standard Chartered announces US$20 million for eye care to poor urban areas through 'trail blazing' Seeing is Believing initiative
London, October 6 2008 - Standard Chartered Bank today announced that Seeing is Believing, its global initiative to help tackle avoidable blindness, will invest US$20 million over the next five years to fund the development of sustainable eye care services in less advantaged areas of 20 cities worldwide. The announcement is timed to coincide with World Sight Day taking place this week, an annual event focusing on the problem of global blindness.
This investment will go towards giving poor, marginalised populations access to complete services from cataract surgery, to preventative treatment and specialised medical interventions. The International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has described the work proposed as a 'trail blazer' corporate social responsibility initiative in this area. IAPB today presented Standard Chartered Bank with their Global Partnership Award for the contribution that Seeing is Believing is making to tackling blindness.
Initiated in 2003 and driven by the Bank's employees, Seeing is Believing is helping tackle avoidable blindness, 90 per cent of which is found in the developing world where the Bank's business is rooted.
Richard Meddings, Group Finance Director at Standard Chartered Bank said, "We are immensely proud of Seeing is Believing. In the space of five years, it has grown from a staff-originated fundraising initiative into a multi-million dollar private-public partnership with the world's leading eye care organisations. Our thanks go to all the staff and thousands of people who volunteered their time or donated to this worthwhile cause."
The new urban focus of the programme reflects the increasing incidence of avoidable blindness in cities, especially as urbanisation swells the numbers of people living in less advantaged areas, where access to eye care is poor and awareness around eye health is low. The services will also be sustainable, designed to support marginalised and excluded populations both now and in the future.
As a demonstration of its commitment to the programme, the Bank commits to match every donation raised until the US$20million target is met and aims to raise the funds by 2013. The investment will extend from 2008 to 2015 when the programme is due to complete.
In the design and implementation of the programme, the Bank is working with World Health Organisation and leading eye care NGOs through partnership with IAPB. With the support of these partners, 20 cities have been provisionally selected for investment through a systematic process identifying areas of real need. Key projects already have been identified in Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Dhaka (Bangladesh), Hyderabad (India), Delhi (India), Colombo (Sri Lanka), Lima (Peru), Nairobi (Kenya), Lusaka, (Zambia) and Mumbai (India) and Kolkata (India).
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For further information please contact:
Alexia Latham/ Ed Grattan
Euro RSCG Biss Lancaster, London
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7467 9320
Email: Alexia.Latham@bisslancaster.com/ Ed.Grattan@bisslancaster.com
Note to Editors:
Standard Chartered - leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East
Standard Chartered PLC, listed on both the London Stock Exchange and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, ranks among the top 25 companies in the FTSE-100 by market capitalisation. The London-headquartered group has operated for over 150 years in some of the world's most dynamic markets, leading the way in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Its income and the number of employees have more than doubled over the last five years primarily as a result of organic growth and supplemented by acquisitions.
Standard Chartered aspires to be the best international bank in its markets through leading by example to be the right partner for its stakeholders. The group now employs 75,000 people, representing 115 nationalities, in more than 1,750 branches and outlets located in over 70 countries. The bank derives more than 90 per cent of its operating income and profits from Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with balanced income derived from both Wholesale and Consumer Banking.
The group is committed to building a sustainable business over the long term and is trusted worldwide for upholding high standards of corporate governance, social responsibility, environmental protection and employee diversity. For more information, please visit: www.standardchartered.com
World Sight Day
World Sight Day (WSD), now in its 10th year, is an annual day of awareness held on the second Thursday of October, to focus global attention on blindness and vision impairment. Included on the official World Health Organization calendar, WSD is co-ordinated by IAPB under the VISION 2020 Global Initiative. The theme, and certain core materials are generated by IAPB. All events are organised independently by members and supporters. www.v2020.org