On 5 April 2025, IAPB organized a session at the 40th Congress of the Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology (APAO), held alongside the 83rd Annual Conference of the All-India Ophthalmological Society (AIOS) in New Delhi. The combined meeting drew a truly international community of eye health professionals, giving us a strong platform to advance shared priorities.
What was covered
- Progress Toward Global Eye Health Targets: We shared where we stand against global commitments and where the data show we must accelerate.
- Building Momentum for the Global Summit for Eye Health: Discussion centered on political will, institutional alignment, and how national and regional actors can help shape the Summit agenda.
- Regional Action on WHO IPEC & 2030 In Sight: Our team presented a draft regional action pathway linking Integrated People-Centered Eye Care (IPEC) with the 2030 In Sight Strategy. Participants from across South-East Asia contributed grounded perspectives on implementation of realities-workforce, financing, integration into primary care, and monitoring.
- From Strategy to Field-Level Execution: The session surfaced specific “on-the-ground” actions needed to meet WHO eye health targets, with several country partners offering to pilot joint learning activities before the summit.
- Member Engagement & Networking: The open discussion format allowed IAPB members to connect directly with our global and regional leads, compare national experiences, and identify opportunities for collaboration.
- Looking Ahead to 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE Nepal: Strong interest emerged in using the Nepal gathering to test regional coordination mechanisms and showcase progress stories.
Building on past momentum
The New Delhi session built on the success of our APAO 2024 symposium in Indonesia, where we first convened broad sectoral dialogue around the 2030 In Sight strategy. That meeting demonstrated the appetite across the region for translating global resolutions into service delivery realities-a theme that continued, and deepened, in New Delhi.
