2022 in Review: Knowledge – Offering opportunities to learn and connect

2022 has been a busy, action packed year in knowledge across IAPB. We were fortunate to offer multiple opportunities to connect, share expertise & experiences and learn together. A few of such key moments are the newly launched Knowledge Hub, Introduction to IPEC course, Advocacy to Action workshops, Focus On webinars, 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE, Dubai and determining the success framework for 2030 InSight. The Knowledge team delivered several key pieces of work this year that will enable us as a sector to prove our case, learn together, innovate, and improve accountability.

Introduction to IPEC learning modules: The free Introduction to IPEC course launched in January 2022 and saw continued enrolments throughout 2022. Over 550 people from over 100 countries have signed up for the course so far. The course is a collaboration between the Fred Hollows Foundation and IAPB and includes four self-paced interactive modules.

Advocacy to Action: Reaching over 500 people, the 2022 programme included 3 regional events specially designed to help advocates build knowledge on elevating eye health among policy and decision makers. The events covered, Latin America (Hybrid, delivered in Spanish), Africa (Virtual) and Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Virtual). The programme also produced a suite of resources including the IPEC Advocacy to Action toolkit to guide policy dialogues, regional snapshots on eye health, and has a curated list of other resources such as the Guide for action toolkit from WHO, templates for presentations, policy briefs etc.

Focus On: We delivered 3 webinars with over 300 registrations and curated more than 20 knowledge hub pieces on two themes – Child Eye Health and Gender Equity. The Gender Equity and Child Eye Health work groups contributed leadership and expertise to the Focus On programme this year. They were sponsored by Santen and CooperVision respectively.

Technology for Access Framework: IAPB and the Technology Taskforce developed a Technology for Access framework that aims to help people better understand and critically analyse technology. The framework, which will launch in early 2023, aims to get eyecare provider organizations and governments comfortable in engaging with and adopting technologies for eye health at the primary and community level.

Knowledge Hub: In August, we launched the Knowledge Hub, to support 2030 In Sight strategy by presenting content organized by twelve critical thematic areas for global eye health. Our aim is to make valuable expertise, information, and experience from across the sector and the IAPB network easy to find, share and use. The Knowledge Hub compliments the data and evidence featured on the Vision Atlas.

Success Framework for 2030 In Sight: The Success Framework defines core measurement domains, as well as a cohort of global, national, and sectoral indicators that can be used to track progress of 2030 in Sight. This framework will be finalized by the end of the year and the framework will be embedded into the Vision Atlas in 2023.

Knowledge at IAPB can only make a real impact if we all work together. A big highlight of the year is all the amazing people and organisations we get to meet, exchange knowledge, and collaborate with. Thank you to everyone involved in the 2030 In Sight Reference Committee Technology for Access taskforce, the work groups and their chairs, all speakers, panellists, and participants of the learning programmes. Thank you to VLEG, ICEH and all contributors of data to the Vision Atlas, authors of Knowledge Hub content and of course to the sponsors of the learning programmes and the Vision Atlas.

Image on top: Reading braille/Niraj Gera