Coming together as a sector

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These are uncertain times. The COVID-19 outbreak has upended our personal and professional lives, not to mention the millions whose lives are at risk today. As countries come to a standstill and refocus all efforts on fighting this virus, the eye health sector is facing unprecedented challenges. As Peter Holland noted in his CEO note a few days ago,

“We are only beginning to understand how COVID-19 is impacting our sector. There have been reports, for example, that some of those infected with COVID-19 first presented to eye health personnel with conjunctivitis. We are beginning to pull together articles and links about COVID-19 and eye care and eye health and, more broadly, its impact on wider health and development policy.”

IAPB is keen to help. As Peter notes, we have a resource page up, and we have them in Spanish and French too. In this newsletter, we feature stories from our membership; cutting back all elective surgeries, innovations to improve safety, and even blood donation. One of the ways we can fight the negative of effects of this social isolation is by sharing our stories with each other.

For the next few weeks, we will be running this newsletter every week. Do share your stories and experiences with us, and we will feature them in the newsletter. We will also share new resources and thought leadership around COVID-19 and eye health.

Do also feel free to share this newsletter with your networks as this is something we are all going through regardless of our locations, professions or background. Through being open and talking about our experiences, we will build a stronger sense of community and togetherness.

I hope you and your loved ones stay safe and well.