2022 in Review: Valued Supplier Scheme – Forging relationships

2022 was a year of re-connecting, giving some of us the chance to see each other in-person, it was also a year of growth all thanks to our suppliers. The relationships we have forged with our suppliers and members over the years are the foundation of the Valued Supplier Scheme’s (VSS) success.

Our VSS website has seen a 30% uptick in traffic from the previous year. We have gained more new users in a short span of time wanting to purchase the products listed on the scheme.

We have added six new valued suppliers, who joined the current ones, bringing the total to 38 Suppliers with a wide range of products that includes retinal products, low vision aids & devices and much more.

In-person meetings

I had the chance to interact with potential suppliers, as well as users of the scheme, while attending the All-India ophthalmic Conference held in Mumbai. We were delighted to have a booth at the IAPB Southeast Asia regional meeting, which was held in Hyderabad, promoting the benefits VSS provides to its members.

We’ve had interest from several potential suppliers, but more on that in the new year.

Every year is unique, and this year our focus was on strengthening our relationships with our members and understanding their needs.

IAPB VSS continues to support IAPB’s membership to procure high quality products at an affordable cost. We also receive inquiries from small hospitals wanting to acquire quality equipment. The scheme truly does what its aim to do –  to assist buyers, particularly those from low- and middle-income countries make informed procurement decisions from our IAPB Valued Suppliers. An example is CBM, Zambia, who has provided VSS with a letter of thanks for helping with their purchase of low vision products at an affordable cost.

A big thanks to all our valued suppliers who gave their time and energy to making World Sight Day part our Love Your Eyes campaign a huge success.

Working together this past year has been a pleasure and we are proud to have you all with us. We look forward to a successful 2023 working together.

Image on top: 3-year-old Mariya plays with a medical equipment following her eye checkup in Yaounde, Cameroon. Photographed by Louis Leeson / Orbis