In the News

A new eye hospital in Nepal has restored sight and independence to elderly residents who previously had no local access to treatment. Their stories reflect a wider transformation, as expanded rural eye care is preventing avoidable blindness and delivering major social and economic benefits across Nepal.

As more premature babies survive, Retinopathy of Prematurity (ROP) is emerging as a major cause of preventable childhood blindness. Experts warn that routine screening and early treatment can save thousands of infants from irreversible vision loss each year.

A new digital platform from Peek Vision is transforming Kenya’s once‑fragmented eye screenings into a unified, real‑time data system powering national planning and service delivery. The country can now track vision needs at scale and act faster to prevent avoidable sight loss.

The World Bank, IAPB and the Vision Catalyst Fund are leading a new global initiative to unlock large-scale financing for eye care, aiming to move beyond short-term projects and embed sustainable investment within national health systems

IAPB and the Vision Catalyst Fund, alongside leading international eye health organisations, are introducing a financing model to unlock large-scale, sustainable investment in eye health by integrating care into national systems.

Over 70 government leaders and global partners convened in Thailand to turn evidence into action, strengthening commitments, scaling investment, and advancing integrated eye health systems ahead of the Global Summit for Eye Health.

International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) has scheduled the event to foster accelerated initiatives towards the elimination of avoidable blindness by 2030 and pave the way for the 2026 Global Summit for Eye Health planned to run on November in Antigua and Barbuda.

Bangladesh has reaffirmed its commitment to global efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness, with leaders calling for stronger collaboration and sustained action to expand access to quality eye care.

Announced by Prime Minister Gaston Browne via video link to St James’s Palace in London, the Global Summit for Eye Health will take place on 2 November 2026 during CHOGM. The event will unite international leaders to strengthen global commitments to vision care and address the growing burden of avoidable sight loss.

Heads of government, ministers, business leaders and civil society representatives are being invited to St John’s, Antigua and Barbuda for the inaugural Global Summit for Eye Health on 2 November 2026.

Minister of Health, Wellness, Environment and Civil Service Affairs, Sir Molwyn Joseph, welcomed IAPB leadership to discuss preparations for the upcoming Global Summit for Eye Health and Antigua and Barbuda’s role in advancing eye care as part of the CHOGM 2026 agenda.

The World Health Organization (WHO) today announced that Libya has eliminated trachoma as a public health problem, a landmark victory for public health in WHO’s Eastern Mediterranean Region.