Insurance and financial services company American International Group took its support of ORBIS to a new level by pledging US$5 million over five years to expand the nonprofit's permanent blindness prevention programs in China, India, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and help enable program growth in Latin America.
March 1, 2007 was proclaimed "ORBIS Day" in New York City by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg, and hundreds of diplomats, business leaders and health care professionals celebrated at the United Nations the 25th anniversary of ORBIS International. Best known for operating the world's only Flying Eye Hospital, ORBIS is dedicated to saving sight worldwide, and through its work, millions of people who were once blind can now see. More than 80 heads of state and the past three secretaries- general of the United Nations have praised ORBIS as a unique diplomatic ambassador, promoting peace and cooperation between nations.
AIG's pledge represents the largest corporate gift announced for ORBIS's blindness prevention work in these specific regions. With this gift, AIG joins founding members Alcon and FedEx in the ORBIS Alliance for Sight, and is designated a Global Sponsor of the organization.
"We know from our experience that enabling people to live healthy, productive lives is critical to economic development," said Martin J. Sullivan, president and CEO of AIG. "AIG has been involved with ORBIS for 25 years. Today, we are honoring that history and extending our commitment by helping ORBIS expand its programmatic footprint to deliver sight to millions of people across the developing world.
His Excellency Girma Wolde-Giorgis, President of the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, was the evening's keynote speaker and addressed the UN gathering about the growing crisis of blindness. Blindness afflicts more than 37 million lives today, nearly all in developing nations. Seventy-five percent of blindness could be prevented or cured if the eye care so plentiful in the United States was widely available in countries like Ethiopia.
"For a quarter of a century, we have built a global network of committed people who share the goal of alleviating human suffering. During this time, enduring professional friendships have been forged and throughout the world governments and ministers of health have been inspired to join forces and direct their influence and resources to bring sight to millions of people," said Oliver Foot, ORBIS International president and executive director. "It's wonderful to see a major corporation like AIG demonstrate such a humanitarian spirit. Their generosity will make a real difference to the lives of millions of adults and children who would otherwise suffer needlessly."
