Department of Preventive Ophthalmology established at Institute of Ophthalmology by Professor Barrie Jones 

Diploma course in Community Eye Health starts. WHO Collaborating Centre status is awarded, and the name International Centre for Eye Health (ICEH) is adopted 

ICEH supports WHO and Ministry of Health in The Gambia to conduct first national survey of blindness in Africa 

ICEH hosts WHO meeting to develop the Simplified Grading Scheme for Trachoma 

The Community Eye Health Journal is launched with “communicating eye health” as the first theme. Clinical trials of ivermectin for onchocerciasis start in Nigeria and Sierra Leone 

ICEH hosts first WHO meeting on childhood blindness

First Master’s course in Community Eye Health 

VISION 2020 – the Right to Sight initiative begins, ICEH is instrumental in developing the programme 

ICEH co-develops a Master’s in Community Eye Health at the Pakistan Institute of Community Ophthalmology, Peshawar

WHO adopts the ‘SAFE’ strategy for trachoma, using evidence contributions from ICEH and LSHTM 

ICEH facilitates the VISION 2020: The Right to Sight initiative, embedding it within the MSc curriculum, organising courses and advocacy workshops

ICEH moves to the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and continues the MSc programme

The VISION 2020 LINKS programme is launched. The first LINK is between Cape Town, South Africa and Oxford, UK 

First Rapid Assessent of Avoidable Blindness (RAAB) survey is undertaken in Kenya. ICEH led in designing the methodology. More than 150 RAAB surveys have since been undertaken in over 70 countries 

ICEH wins the Queen’s Anniversary Prize for Higher and Further Education 

The Cataract Impact Study provides the first evidence that cataract surgery improves quality of life and economic productivity 

ICEH starts testing prototype smartphone tools for eye health, leading to the creation of Peek Vision. The LINKS programme reaches 25 partnerships 

The Diabetic Retinopathy Network is established, to bring together mutliple countries to improve screening and treatment 

First free open online course on Global Blindness: Planning and Managing Eye Care Services launches 

ICEH starts leading the Commonwealth Eye Health Consortium, a five-year programme to strengthen eye care capacity worldwide 

A randomised trial of alternative surgical techniques for trichiasis in Ethiopia demonstrates the superiority of the PLTR/Trabut procedure 

A randomised trial demonstrates the effectiveness of 5FU treatment in reducing recurrent ocular surface squamous neoplasia in Kenya 

Eliminating Trachoma, a massive open online course is launched in collaboration with WHO 

The Retinoblastoma Network (Rb-NET) is established, including The Global Retinoblastoma Study Group which has published evidence from 278 centres in 53 countries, highlighting that country income level strongly influences disease presentation and therefore survival

ICEH collaborates to define and demonstrate effective cataract surgical coverage (eCSC), and indicator that was rapidly adoped by WHO (alongside effective refractive error coverage – eREC) as the key indicator for monitoring eye health at the global and national level 

The first open online course with a public health approach for Diabetic Eye Diseases is launched 

The Retinopathy of Prematurity Network is launched to improve screening and treatment, mainly in Africa 

The 100th issue of the Community Eye Health Journal is published

Peek Vision becomes an independent social enterprise

The Government of Botswana commits to using Peek to deliver a national school programme

Our open online courses in eye health are awarded the Collaboration in Academic Teaching Excellence (CATE 19) award by the UK higher education academy, and the Quality in Care award for the diabetic eye diseases course 

WHO launches the World Report on Vision, with input from ICEH

The first online course on Retinopathy of Prematurity is launched. ICEH now has a portfolio of 7 open online course which have been accessed by 34,000 people in 188 countries

ICEH coordinates the Lancet Commission on Global Eye Health, bringing together current thinking on global eye health and providing evidence for a new UN General Assembly resolution on Eye Health 

The Glaucoma Network is established

ICEH coordinates the Grand Challenges in Global Eye Health prioritisation process, collaborating with 336 stakeholders from 118 countries to identify the key issues to address to improve eye health at the global and regional level 

ICEH collaborates with WHO and the Vision Loss Expert Group to generate baseline estimates of eCSC and eREC in response to a request from Member States at the 73rd World Health Assembly

ICEH leads the Global Retinoblastoma Outcomes study, including the majority of Rb cases globally

Peek Vision reaches 1 million people for eye conditions through their partner programmes

ICEH becomes technical partner for the WHO in developing a Global Eye Health Research Agenda