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Jaipur, India | 8 March 2026 — Leading ophthalmological societies from India, Indonesia, Nepal and Sri Lanka have signed the Jaipur Declaration ahead of the first Global Summit for Eye Health to be held in Antigua and Barbuda on 2nd November this year. The declaration urges governments, development partners, and global health institutions to accelerate action to address avoidable sight loss.
The declaration was adopted during the Annual Conference of the All India Ophthalmological Society 2026, reflecting the commitment of regions ophthalmic community to advancing equitable and high-quality eye care worldwide.
Globally, 1.1 billion people live with sight loss that could be prevented or treated, with nearly one-third of the burden affecting countries in the WHO South-East Asia Region. Despite the scale of the challenge, many of the solutions; such as cataract surgery and refractive services, are highly cost-effective and scalable.
The declaration supports the Integrated People-Centred Eye Care (IPEC) framework endorsed by the World Health Organization and calls for stronger integration of eye care into national health systems and Universal Health Coverage strategies.
“Eye health is fundamental to human development, economic productivity, and quality of life,” said Partha Biswas, President of the All India Ophthalmological Society. “The Jaipur Declaration reflects a collective commitment by India’s ophthalmic community to work with global partners to accelerate progress, strengthen eye care systems, and ensure that no one is left behind in accessing essential eye care services.”
AIOS welcomed the Global Summit for Eye Health, to be hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) on 2nd November 2026. The Summit will convene senior leaders from government, private and public sectors, NGO’s and funding institutions to help reach the 1 billion people living with avoidable sight-loss.
Five years on from the UN Resolution on Vision, the event will be an opportunity to secure a new wave of ambitious commitments and transform a shared vision into action.
“As we move toward the Global Summit for Eye Health later this year, this is a critical moment to accelerate progress,” said Dr. Rohit C Khanna, Regional Chair, IAPB South- East Asia, “We already have proven, cost-effective solutions to address avoidable sight loss. What is needed now is stronger collaboration, sustained investment, and the collective determination to scale these solutions so that everyone, everywhere can access the eye care they need.”
The declaration also reaffirms support for the WHO global eye health targets for 2030, including:
To achieve these goals, the declaration highlights the need for expanded workforce capacity, stronger health systems integration, improved quality of care, and investment in innovation; including tele-ophthalmology and artificial intelligence; to expand access to services.
AIOS (India), College of Ophthalmologists of Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka), Nepal Ophthalmic Society (Nepal) and PERDAMI (Indonesia), reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with global partners to translate international commitments into tangible progress toward eliminating avoidable sight loss by 2030.
For further information please contact Indra Prasad Sharma, Regional Officer, IAPB South-East Asia, – [email protected]
About Global Summit for Eye Health
The Government of Antigua and Barbuda, in technical collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO), will host the first ever Global Summit for Eye Health to focus on the value of vision to countries, communities and individuals. The Summit will convene senior leaders from government, private and public sectors, NGO’s and funding institutions to help reach the 1 billion people living with avoidable sight-loss.
Five years on from the UN Resolution on Vision, the event will be an opportunity to secure a new wave of ambitious commitments and transform a shared vision into action. For more information, visit https://globalsummitforeyehealth.org/
About IAPB
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) is the overarching alliance for the global eye health sector. For 50 years, IAPB has united governments, professional bodies, patient groups, NGOs, and academic institutions to form a powerful global movement for eye health. With nearly 300 member organisations across over 100 countries, IAPB drives universal access to eye health through advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and campaigns. Guided by its 2030 In Sight strategy, IAPB continues to build on this legacy to achieve a world where no one experiences avoidable sight loss. For more information, visit www.iapb.org.
