Cleary: How a 700-year old invention can change the world for ever

Poor vision is the largest unaddressed disability in the world today. An estimated 2.5 billion people, mostly living in the poorest parts of the planet and a majority of whom are women, cannot see clearly and have no access to treatment. Yet for 80 per cent of the 2.5 billion, all they need is a simple pair of prescription spectacles.

Tackling this problem would unlock billions of dollars in productivity gains. It would give young people a better chance in school, would help women live better lives, and is critical to eliminating poverty. However, despite the potentially huge return on investment, basic eye care is low on the list of priorities for poor countries and donors. In this extraordinary book, businessman and philanthropist James Chen asks why this should be, and describes his mission to help the world to see.

In Clearly, Chen reveals the personal stories of some of those afflicted and identifies the barriers to delivering access to glasses for all. He delivers a passionate call to governments to act and calls on business, technology and medicine to come together and find a solution to this global problem.