CBM and Peek Vision join forces to roll out new sight-saving technology

Teacher holds up a phone showing letter E as part of a visual acuity test

In an exciting new partnership, CBM is joining with Peek Vision to introduce new technologies that will make eye treatment more accessible in even the remotest areas of developing countries.

253 million people worldwide are visually impaired or blind.  80% could be helped with simple solutions like the provision of glasses or cataract surgery. But to find and treat many with sight loss, new technologies are needed.

That’s where Peek Vision (open link in new tab) comes in. They are an award-winning British organisation, developing tools that CBM can use with its partners in the field, to radically scale-up efforts to deliver quality, sustainable eye care in the world’s poorest countries. Watch this week’s Sky News Swipe (from 1’40 – 4’52) (open link in new tab) to see more .

Swipe: an eyesight saving app transcript (open link in new tab)

Sight-saving solutions in the palm of our hands

Peek Vision have developed a retina scanner that clips onto a mobile phone. This device can change the optics of the phone’s camera to allow it to examine the inside of the eye. Non- specialists working in the field, gather the information which is then sent to doctors who will advise on the treatment needed. There is also a vision test that can be added to smartphones.

World Sight Day – Peek on Sky News

To mark World Sight Day Dr Andrew Bastawrous, Peek Vision’s CEO, was interviewed on Sky News’ technology programme. Thanks to partnership with CBM, Peek Vision plans to expand to cover a further 4 countries next year  including Rwanda, Zimbabwe, Indonesia and Pakistan. Peek Vision’s current work in Kenya, Botswana and India is estimated to have helped nearly 200,000 people already.

Dr Andrew Bastawrous, Peek Vision’s CEO, says their focus is not just on devices and apps but on gathering information to put people in touch with the right services.

“People working together solve blindness. Our technology is designed to help them” he says.

Peek and CBM International will collaborate to provide partners with funding, training, capacity development, technical support resources and equipment. It’s hoped the 5-year partnership will lead to widespread adoption of this innovative technology in all CBM operating countries, and help bring solutions in CBM’s other areas of disability work as well as eye health.

More on Peek Vision technologies:

Peek Acuity is an app that enables anyone to measure vision on an Android smartphone, and to simulate the vision of the person tested.  It is being used in 154 countries, and was nominated as best social impact app by Google in 2016. 

Peek Retina is a clip on device for smartphones that enables examination of the inside of the eye. It has been shipped to 72 countries and was awarded the Index Design award, alongside Tesla. 

Peek have also built a new app that supports large-scale eye health surveys, allowing health providers to locate and understand people’s eye health needs across a large region. This has been used in 8 countries to date.

Watch Sky News Swipe (open link in new tab) for a full report on technology that saves sight.

Follow the discussion on Peek Vision’s technology on Sky News Facebook (open link in new tab)

Read more about CBM’s partnership with Peek Vision (open link in new tab) (CBM International)



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