Acknowledging the solidarity-based activities of Spanish ophthalmologists who fight against avoidable blindness around the world: this is the  the purpose of the Luzes Project launched by Esteve, with headquarters at the Barcelona Science Park. This initiative was just started up with the publication of the Luzes magazine, and seeks to be a long-term project and a meeting point to promote new solidarity-based actions to meet the ocular needs of the most disadvantaged groups, both internationally and in Spain. 

Luzes Project was started up with a print magazine of the same name that provides a graphic and literary testimony of the solidarity-based activities carried out by Spanish ophthalmologists both locally and in the most distant countries.To this end, each new issue will gather some of the ongoing initiatives in disadvantaged countries or in Spain. 

“The Luzes Project is born to disseminate the solidarity-based activities developed by Spanish ophthalmologists We ultimately aim to shed light on this important, altruistic, selfless medical work”, Dr. Enrique González Morales, director of the Luzes magazine, explains. 

In its first issue, the Luzes magazine explains the Eyes of Bolivia 2016 Project –an initiative of the Eyes of the World organization– presented by National Geographic photographer Tino Soriano. This social and healthcare expedition was carried out in a large territory around the Bolivian city of Tarija, where 70% of the population is classified as poor, very poor or indigent, and where only one fourth of this population has access to eye care under appropriate conditions.

“As a photographer, I am particularly sensitive to vision-related issues. When Esteve introduced the project to me, an ambitious plan to create a photographic legacy that perpetuates the work of people who devote part of their time to help the visually impaired, it seemed like a great idea. Alerting society to the important mission it has to solve is essential”, Tino Soriano says.

A solidarity-based project that goes much further  

Luzes, however, wants to go further and become a wider project, including a magazine, a website and complementary activities –events, contests, attendance to congresses– for the purpose of sharing experiences, favoring collaboration, taking new actions, gathering ideas and volunteers, and ultimately supporting the development and continuity of solidarity-based ophthalmology. 

According to the WHO, there are some three hundred million visually impaired people around the world. In many countries, particularly the most disadvantaged ones, many of these people go blind for a number of reasons, some of which can be avoided. In fact, cataracts are presently the leading cause of blindness in the world, and it is estimated that 80% of the total global number of cases of visual impairment can be prevented or cured. 
 

► More information about the Luzes Project on the Esteve website [+]