3 Brazilian groups win major science prize for eyesight work

LISBON, Portugal – Three Brazilian organizations are sharing a 1 million-euro ($1.1 million) prize from a Portuguese scientific foundation for their work treating millions of people with eyesight disorders.

The Lisbon-based gave its annual Vision Award on Wednesday to two foundations headquartered in Sao Paulo, the IPEPO Instituto da Visão and UNICAMP Ophthalmology Service. The third recipient was the Altini Ventura Foudation, which works in northern Brazil.

The Champalimaud Foundation says the three organizations have served people across the country for decades, from residents of major cities to indigenous people in remote areas of the Amazon.

The foundation says the staff and volunteers who work for the prizewinners often operate at great personal risk and are “genuine soldiers in the war on blindness.”