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The IAPB Board of Trustees meeting took place last week on Zoom. This well-attended Board meeting was particularly important, including discussions on the future of IAPB and the eye health sector over the next decade. These discussions included developing a post VISION 2020 initiative for the next decade which aims to ensure everyone has the best possible vision by 2030. We will be in touch soon on how you can get involved in helping develop our thinking on the initiative.
The Board of Trustees have decided to cancel the Global Assembly that was due to take place in October 2021. Unfortunately, it has become clear that we would not be able to deliver a face-to-face Global Assembly next year. We agreed, however, that we would deliver a Global Assembly in Singapore with the Singapore Eye Research Institute as soon as it is safe and feasible to do so. Next year, we are planning a range of virtual activities centred around our knowledge services, advocacy and communications to bring the sector together, and provide the opportunity to learn and share insight.
With the merger of Clearly into IAPB from the beginning of next year, we will have new experience and expertise of external communications within the team. This will better enable us to focus on supporting members and amplifying your voice as well as the voice of the sector. There will be three key media moments where our campaigns and media outreach will peak. This will include the formal launch of the IAPB Vision Atlas and Lancet Global Commission, an IAPB Global meeting where we will share the sector priorities for the next ten years with wider audiences, and World Sight Day, which this year received a huge global coverage and we will continue to build on this success.
There is also the opportunity to review the IAPB brand to ensure that we have a compelling brand narrative that aligns with our ambitions and works with a wide range of key audiences.
In 2021, a new IAPB President and Board will be elected. After an extensive search process, the Nominations Committee had identified Caroline Casey, as the outstanding candidate (click here to watch an interview with Caroline). Caroline was introduced to the Board, who were delighted to approve her as the Board’s nomination for IAPB President. Further details of the election process will be shared with IAPB members soon.
Jude Stern, IAPB’s Head of Knowledge Management, presented the new Vision Atlas to the Trustees. It will be officially launched in early 2021. Jude acknowledged the sponsors of the Vision Atlas: Bayer, Allergan, SEVA Foundation and Sightsavers.
The co-chairs of the COVID taskforce, Suzanne Gilbert and Babar Qureshi, provided the Board with an update. They advised that the taskforce had developed a set of advocacy messages, a set of Guiding Principles for service providers and an extensive set of resources which would be available on the IAPB website in the coming weeks.
Sally Crook, Seeing Is Believing Programme Manager, updated the Board that there will be a closing event for Seeing is Believing taking place virtually on Tuesday 1 December 2020, which all members are welcome to attend. The Seeing is Believing information, including key learnings, will remain on the new IAPB website.
Bob McMullan, IAPB President, thanked Standard Chartered Bank on behalf of the Board for their partnership and support. He also thanked the Seeing is Believing team for their hard work and contribution.
You can view the IAPB Board Pack and Board minutes here.
