Vision Aid Overseas’ long-standing volunteer, Mark Esbester, has been awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours as announced on the 28th December 2018. Mark has been a supporter of Vision Aid Overseas for over 13 years and has taken part, often as a team leader, in over 20 volunteer assignments during that time.…
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Submissions for the third World Congress of Optometry are open. The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and the American Academy of Optometry (Academy) will be co-hosting the 3rd World Congress of Optometry in Orlando, Florida, USA at the Orange County Convention Center, October 23-27, 2019 and will feature joint CE tracks. The 3rd World Congress…
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A statement from the World Blind Union. The World Blind Union is delighted to celebrate the World Braille Day, January 4th2019, which has been declared by the United Nations as an international day to commemorate the importance of braille. On this day, the world must recognize the right of access to braille by blind people…
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As 2018 comes to a close it’s a great opportunity that as a sector we remember the progress we have made. Here are just a few highlights in 2018: Nepal and Ghana have eliminated Trachoma with the help and dedication of IAPB members. At their Heads of Government meeting in the United Kingdom (CHOGM), Commonwealth…
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2018, has been an exceptionally busy year, filled with fruitful meetings and moving forward in some of the other work I have been involved in. The IAPB Standard List (SL) continues to grow with more users visiting the site, newly added suppliers, essential lists and increased enquiries compared to previous years. New Suppliers The list…
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A key focus for IAPB advocacy in 2018 was contributing to the development of the World Report on Vision and planning for its advocacy and national-level launches. During the year, IAPB organised members’ webinars and consultations, and coordinated contributions to the report. IAPB also submitted to the consultation and co-authored a background paper with members, and…
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Activist Christophe Oulé had a glittering career in engineering in Burkina Faso when he lost his sight. Now he campaigns tirelessly to improve the lives of other blind people. Presented by Lucy Lambleand produced by Danielle Stephens.Christophe Ouléhad it all: a lovely family and a good education. Oulé was an engineer, and after years of…
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The 43rd Annual General Meeting and Scientific Conference looked beyond 2020 to push for a Nigeria where everyone has a right to 20/20 vision. The conference presented a crucial platform to share experiences, best practices and new innovations in eye care, with the aim of improving the delivery of eye care services in Nigeria. At…
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The L’OCCITANE Foundation under its programme Union for Vision 10by20 has launched a new call for projects to continue the fight against avoidable blindness. It encourages L’OCCITANE’s offices worldwide to participate, by identifying and supporting local organisations with eye care projects. These projects are co-financed by L’OCCITANE’s local offices and by the Foundation. Rules & Eligibility…
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“But what are you doing here?” I got this question a lot as I wrote this, sitting in the Mongolian capital, Ulan Baatar (UB), where it was -27 degrees outside! “We’ve never had a meeting in December. Nobody comes in December!” And really, indeed - why would I come here in December? Simply: because this meeting…
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The focus of IAPB-South-East Asia Region in the year 2018 has continued to be the operationalization of the WHO Global Action Plan (GAP) 2014-2019 and monitoring its progress. The three main objectives of GAP are: Evidence Generation – using it to advocate for political and financial commitment for eye health National Eye Health Policies, Plan…
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2018 has been a fantastic year at the IAPB Africa office and our region as a whole. We’ve undertaken multi-level advocacy activities, held important workshops, seen the publication of the WHO AFRO Primary Eye Care Training Manual, moved the WHO Regional Core Competencies for Eye Heath Workers in the Africa Region document to the final…
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Dear colleagues, IAPB has seen a number of changes over this fast-paced year! We welcomed Peter Holland as our new CEO who brings extensive international and management experience. He immediately dedicated time to speak with all members either in person or by phone, took on the strategic planning process for the Secretariat, and moved IAPB’s…
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Over a billion people can’t see well, just because they lack a pair of glasses. This line has captured the imagination of the popular press this year—the New York Times, the Guardian and the Economist have all run articles exploring this fact and the context animating our impact. A number of IAPB members and partners have worked…
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Every person should be able to access quality health services without suffering financial hardship. Each year IAPB lends its support to Universal Health Coverage Day recognising the critical need to improve health services and health access particularly in lower income countries. Universal Health Coverage day is celebrated on 12 December. It is the anniversary of…
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2018 has been a fantastic year for the IAPB alliance. We finish 2018 with over 150 members and a couple of new members are set to join us early 2019. As this year comes to a close, we wanted to share with you some of the highlights from across the alliance; we asked a cross…
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Prevent Blindness officially launches its new Center for Vision and Population Health (CVPH) to serve as a national coordinating body (for United States) for effective practices, state-level technical assistance, and programmatic interventions. The launch of the Center aligns with an article published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Ophthalmology (JAMA-O). Co-authored by Jeff Todd,…
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January IAPB Gender Equity work group established What a fantastic way to start the year! With The Fred Hollows Foundation, Brien Holden Vision Institute, Seva Foundation, Helen Keller International and Sightsavers at the helm, the group provides an important forum for raising awareness, sharing ideas and disseminating evidence on gender equity approaches. A New Ray…
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Myopia (or short-sightedness) is an ‘epidemic’ in many countries of the world, especially in East Asia where nearly 80% of high school leavers (16-18 years old) have the condition. In China, the prevalence of myopia in children is at an all-time high, and with some as young as 4 years-of-age becoming myopic the President, Xi…
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The 10thRegional Forum on Eye Health was convened in Cape Verde over 2 days in July on the theme “Eye Health for Sustainable Development in West Africa” and was jointly organized by WAHO and the Ministry of Health and Social Security of Cape Verde. The opening ceremony was enhanced by the presence of the Minister…
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