The USVI is an interdisciplinary center aiming to improve the eye health of underprivileged populations globally.

The USVI was born from an inter-faculty agreement at the University of Montreal between the Faculty of Medicine, the Public Health School (ESPUM) and its International Health unit (USI) as well as the School of Optometry (EOUM).

The USVI aims to contribute to the improvement of visual health and the reduction of avoidable visual impairment in low- and middle-income settings.

The USVI is the only francophone North American organization that brings together professionals and students coming from a multitude of disciplines to promote training, expertise, technical support and research in global visual health.

The USVI’s initiatives are in close collaboration with local organizations and responds to needs identified by its partners. The USVI works according to the principles, the guidelines and the resolutions adopted by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Our pillars: cooperation, education, research

By basing itself on these three pillars, the USVI aims to:

1. Contribute to the efforts of the WHO and the United Nations to reduce global blindness and visual impairment
2. Implement the recommendations of the first World report on vision - WHO
3. Establish sustainable and multilateral partnerships responding to local needs
4. Follow the guidelines of the practices in cooperation and international development
5. Support the development of competencies in global eye health
6. Raise awareness on visual health vision amongst health professionals and populations
7. Train future leaders in global visual health and blindness prevention
8. Support initiatives from practitioners, students, and researchers in eye care
9. Develop research in global eye health and in program evaluation
10. Promote access to eye care