Seva Foundation Launches Worldwide Campaign to Eradicate Childhood Blindness; Philanthropist's Commitment Makes It Possible to Help Thousands of Children.

News Editors/Health/Medical Writers/Philanthropy Writers

BERKELEY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 14, 2003

Thanks to a lead charitable contribution from philanthropist Mouli Cohen, the Seva Foundation today announced the launch of the Child Vision Campaign, a five million-dollar initiative to eliminate needless blindness for hundreds of thousands of children across the world.

Philanthropist Mouli Cohen, Co-chair for Development of Seva's Childhood Blindness Prevention Initiative, has launched the initiative with a lead gift and a commitment to recruit high-profile support from the business and entertainment communities. Cohen's commitment will allow the Seva Foundation to build upon 25 years of success restoring eyesight for over two million adults in Asia and Africa.

Since its inception in 1978, the Seva Foundation and its network of program partners has helped to restore sight to more than two million blind adults in India, Nepal, Tibet and Cambodia. Building on this successful model, Seva will use Cohen's contribution and the funds raised through the Child Vision Campaign to prevent blindness and restore vision for hundreds of thousands of children over the next several years.

Each year, approximately 500,000 children go blind -- almost one every minute. Three quarters of these children live in Asia and Africa, in regions least prepared to provide necessary care and treatment. Many children die within two years of becoming blind. Those who survive live in darkness and in most cases are unable to adequately care for themselves. Remarkably, 80 percent of blindness in the world is avoidable -- either through appropriate community-based prevention programs or cost-effective surgical techniques.

"My philanthropic mission is help eradicate childhood cancer and blindness," said Mr. Cohen, a biotech and software entrepreneur and Co-chair of Seva's Development Committee. "Through this contribution, I hope to generate and accelerate positive global progress toward research and treatment programs of these childhood diseases."

"It is difficult to imagine a greater tragedy than a young child needlessly blinded for life, when the child's sight could have been saved easily with appropriate medical treatment," said Seva Foundation Executive Director Larry Brillant. "Through the Child Vision Campaign we launch today, we hope to replicate the success we've had fighting adult blindness to put an end to needless childhood blindness."

Seva Foundation, working in close collaboration with Aravind Eye Hospitals in India, the Lumbini Eye Care Program in Nepal, and other partners, will spearhead the Child Vision Campaign. Seva is recognized as a world leader in eliminating needless blindness because of its success creating financially sustainable, locally-run programs. In 1978, Seva began working with Aravind Eye Hospitals in Madurai, India when Aravind was an 11-bed facility. Together, Seva and Aravind pioneered a model for high-volume, high-quality cataract eye surgery, in which two-thirds of eye patients receive free care subsidized by the fees of those who can afford to pay.

Today, Aravind treats and cures more eye patients each year than any other institution in the world. This model is now replicated by Lumbini in Nepal, and in many parts of the developing world. Since 1978, Seva, Aravind, Lumbini, and other local partner institutions have helped restore eyesight for more than two million people. With Mr. Cohen's financial and fundraising support, Seva and its partners will develop a similar signature model to address the worldwide devastating problem of childhood blindness.

More information about the Seva Foundation can be found at www.seva.org. More information about Mouli Cohen can be found at www.moulicohen.com.