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The IAPB Eastern Mediterranean Regional Meeting, held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on December 14th-15th, 2024, brought together key stakeholders to address the pressing eye health challenges in the region. The meeting, attended by more than 30 participants, fostered collaboration and knowledge sharing among participants from various countries and organizations.
Dr Abdulaziz AlRajhi, IAPB EMRO Regional Chair, and Dr Muhammad Babar Qureshi, IAPB Vice President and Board Chair, opened the meeting, emphasizing the importance of collaborative efforts to achieve the 2030 In-Sight goals. Country representatives presented overviews of their eye health situations, highlighting challenges such as high prevalence of avoidable blindness, limited access to care, shortage of trained personnel, and inadequate funding. Priorities identified included strengthening primary eye care, increasing cataract surgical coverage, addressing refractive errors, developing human resources, and improving data collection.
Peter Holland, IAPB CEO, provided a comprehensive overview of the 2030 In Sight global strategy and the plans for a Global Summit for Eye Health in 2026. The summit aims to raise awareness, mobilize resources, encourage national action, and establish an accountability framework for eye health. Participants engaged in discussions on integrating eye health into health services, engaging the private sector, and strengthening national leadership.
The second day featured presentations from several organizations, including the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Noor Dubai Foundation, Carter Center, CBM, and Sightsavers.
These presentations highlighted achievements in cataract surgery, trachoma control, teleophthalmology, and inclusive eye health.
Dr Khabir Ahmad led a session on setting priorities for eye health in the EMR region. The session focused on developing a regional action plan, updating existing policies, and gathering country-specific data. Participants engaged in group work to brainstorm priority areas for regional action, including governance, system strengthening, knowledge sharing, and advocacy.
The IAPB Eastern Mediterranean Regional Meeting served as a valuable platform for collaboration, knowledge sharing, and action planning to address the eye health challenges in the region. The meeting’s outcomes and recommendations will contribute to the ongoing efforts to achieve the 2030 In Sight goals and improve eye health for all in the Eastern Mediterranean region.
