Building Political Momentum for Eye Health at the 79th World Health Assembly: Join Us on the Roadmap to the Global Summit for Eye Health

As global health leaders gather in Geneva for the 79th World Health Assembly (WHA79), the global eye health sector is coming together with renewed ambition and momentum.

This year marks an important milestone on the road to the first-ever Global Summit for Eye Health, to be hosted by Antigua and Barbuda alongside the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in November 2026. Against this backdrop, IAPB and partners are working to catalyse political momentum for eye health as an essential driver of health, development and economic progress.

A key highlight of our engagement at WHA79 will be the high-level side event:

The Value of Vision: The Roadmap to the Global Summit for Eye Health

📅 21 May 2026
🕐 13:00–14:30 CET
📍 Garden Room T, WHO Headquarters, Geneva
🌐 Hybrid Event (In-person and Online)

The event is co-sponsored by the Governments of the United Kingdom and Malaysia, alongside Sightsavers, and co-organised by IAPB, CBM, Christian Blind Mission and The Fred Hollows Foundation.

Designed as a high-level ministerial moment ahead of the Global Summit, the event will bring together governments, WHO leadership, civil society, private sector and global partners to strengthen alignment around national eye health priorities and accelerate commitment towards the Summit.

We are honoured that the programme will feature opening remarks from HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, alongside high-level remarks from the Minister of Health of Malaysia and the United Kingdom.

The event will also spotlight new WHO guidance on refractive error regulation, present WHO recommendations on cataract quality outcomes, and share the latest effective cataract surgical coverage (eCSC) data, equipping Member States with critical benchmarks to measure progress and inform action.

Alongside these technical updates, partners will present new initiatives and showcase emerging national commitments; helping translate evidence into political action and elevating eye health for consideration by Heads of State at the Global Summit.

At a time when countries increasingly recognise the social and economic value of investing in eye health, this event provides a critical opportunity to bridge technical discussions at WHA79 with sustained political momentum towards 2026.

For colleagues attending WHA79 in Geneva, we warmly invite you to join us in person at WHO Headquarters. The event will also be accessible online through hybrid participation.

Register here:
https://www.iapb.org/learn/our-events/events-calendar/the-value-of-vision-the-roadmap-to-the-global-summit-for-eye-health/

We look forward to welcoming colleagues, members, partners, delegates and friends from across the global eye health community as we work together to elevate eye health on the global agenda and build momentum towards the Global Summit for Eye Health 2026