The most recent congress of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness was held in Mexico City in June 2024.
Eleven team members from ICEH were in attendance, to join the latest discussions in global eye health, meet with new and old partners and share the work of our centre.
A key session at the congress was on a new global eye health research agenda, led by the World Health Organisation and facilitated by ICEH as technical partner. Professor Matthew Burton, Dr Cova Bascaran and Dr Jacqueline Ramke from ICEH chaired a workshop at IAPB Mexico alongside Dr Stuart Keel of the WHO.
The agenda is a one-year project to define global eye health research targets to address evidence gaps that can lead to better eye care provision worldwide.
At the workshop, participants heard about the technical process that will develop the agenda, its participatory nature and how stakeholders will be engaged throughout the process. Participants then workshopped ideas around a specific challenge in eye health and the interventions and research outputs that could address it.
The WHO research agenda will be crucial to galvanize commitment and funding towards priority areas of health systems and policy research in eye care, becoming the foundation for the development of regional and country-level research agendas.
Improved and focused research will lead to more comprehensive, efficient and inclusive eye care services that lead to improved eye health for all.
If you would like to participate in the consultative phase of the Research Agenda project, contact Covadonga.bascaran@lshtm.ac.uk before 15th September 2024, outlining your current role/expertise in the eye health space.
Further sessions at IAPB that involved ICEH include:
• an open editorial meeting of the Community Eye Health Journal, which was very well attended by a wide variety of professionals in the sector, coming together to share ideas on content, distribution and sustainability of the journal
• Cova Bascaran leading a session on Diabetic Retinopathy and The Diabetic Retinopathy Working Group, which included discussions on key terminology around the condition
• Professor Fatima Kyari speaking on a panel on inclusion and disability in eye health, which mentioned the work of RAAB
• Dr Priya Morjaria chairing the School Eye Health work group, where the latest international guidelines for school eye health programmes were launched
• Professor Andrew Bastawrous presenting on Presbyopia, Peek Vision and technology at different sessions
• Dr Jacqui Ramke speaking at the Gender Equity work group
• Multiple ICEH alumni were also present and presenting, including Fatma Shakarchi, a regional representative and health officer at the Red Cross speaking at multiple sessions