IFOS Notes:
Top Priorities for ICO/IFOS?

Dear IFOS Members,

This month, I have wonderful news to report on adoption at the World Health Assembly in Geneva last week of a resolution to increase support for prevention of blindness and visual loss.

But first, I will ask you to answer two questions that are critical to the future of the International Council of Ophthalmology/International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (ICO/IFOS).

1. What Should Be the Purpose and Top Priorities for ICO/IFOS?

As I reported in previous IFOS Notes, we have scheduled a small meeting in Zurich at the beginning of July to begin to begin to define a new strategic plan for the ICO/IFOS. The participants in that meeting need to hear what the members of IFOS believe should be our focus in the future.

Please answer the following two questions:

• What should be the main purpose of the ICO/IFOS? What is the ultimate outcome it should work to achieve (e.g., better public access to eye care, enhanced ophthalmic education, stronger ophthalmologic societies, etc.)?

• What should be the top priorities for action by the ICO/IFOS in the next five years (e.g., focus on training in developing countries, develop models for use by societies, etc.)?

To answer, please go to the ICO/IFOS “Forum on the Future” at www.icoph.org/plan and click on “comments” below each of these questions. Type in your comments, select “Other” and enter your name. Or you can select “Anonymous” if you prefer. It is quick and easy to respond.

If you can’t access the Forum or if you prefer, you can answer the questions by replying to this e-mail. Unless you ask me not to, I will add your comments to the Forum, so that everyone can read your ideas.

But please respond. It is important that we hear your thoughts on these key questions for the future of the ICO/IFOS.

2. Thank You for Your Ideas

Sincere thanks to those of you who answered the previous questions in the Forum on the Future: on trends that will impact ophthalmology and eye care, strengths and weaknesses and the needs of ophthalmologists and ophthalmologic societies.

If you haven’t already answered, you can still do so at www.icoph.org/plan. Just scroll down to the earlier questions. You may also be interested to read the more than 100 responses we have had so far. I encourage you to comment on those responses as well.

All responses will be distributed to participants in the planning session and considered when we meet in Zurich at the beginning of July.

3. WHA Calls for Increased Support for Prevention of Blindness

Thanks to the efforts of many individuals and organizations, the World Health Assembly (WHA) on May 27 adopted a resolution that calls for countries and the World Health Organization (WHO) to provide more support for the VISION 2020 global initiative specifically and for prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in general.

Adoption of the resolution, which was initiated by the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and promoted by many ophthalmologic societies, is a major step forward in bringing visual problems back into the forefront of WHO consideration and thought.

But more work will be needed to assure that countries act on the mandate from the WHA.

4. Resolution Asks Countries To Support VISION 2020 and Eye Care

The final wording is not yet available, but the resolution adopted by the WHA in Geneva asks Member States (countries) to:

• reinforce efforts to define national VISION 2020 plans
• mobilize funding to support VISION 2020
• include prevention of blindness in national development plans and goals
• integrate prevention of blindness into primary health care
• encourage public and private partnerships
• develop and strengthen eye care services and integrate them in the existing health care system, including training and re-training of health workers in visual health
• make available the essential medicines and supplies needed for eye care.

National ophthalmologic societies and individual ophthalmologists can have a significant influence on what your national governments do to respond. 

5. Inclusion in WHO Programme, Strategic Plan and Budget

The Resolution adopted at the World Health Assembly calls on WHO to:

• give priority to prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment
• provide necessary support to Member States, particularly for training eye care personnel
• strengthen regional, subregional and international cooperation
• monitor progress on VISION 2020  and report every three years.

The original resolution adopted in January by the WHO Executive Board was amended in Geneva to also ask WHO to:

• ensure that prevention of blindness is included in implementation and monitoring of WHO's Eleventh General Programme of Work
• add prevention of blindness activities to WHO's medium-term strategic plan 2008-2013 and proposed programme budget 2008-2009.

These amendments were intended to assure that prevention of blindness is included in WHO’s work priorities and plans and budget that are being currently being drafted.

6. Thanks To Those Who Supported Adoption

Many individuals played a critical role at the Assembly, notably HRH Abdulaziz Bin Ahmad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, new ICO member AbdulAziz AlRajhi, MD, and other representatives the Eastern Mediterranean Region Office of IAPB, all of whom benefited significantly from information provided by Serge Resnikoff, MD, PhD, and the prevention of blindness and deafness team at WHO.

I had the privilege of serving on the delegation to the WHA from the United States, one of many countries that supported adoption of the resolution.

Other countries that spoke on the resolution at the WHA were: Cuba, Saudi Arabia, Philippines, Paraguay, Vietnam, Sao Tome and Principe, Uruguay, Australia, Venezuela, Gambia, Surinam, India, Japan, Ghana (on behalf of 46 African states), Thailand, Dominican Republic, Cameroon, Turkey, Canada, Kuwait, Morocco, UAE, St Kitts and Nevis, Libya, Mexico, Bahrain, South Africa, Sudan, Botswana, Indonesia, Pakistan, Uganda, Chile, Syria, Fiji, UK, Austria (partly on behalf of the EU member states), Qatar, China, Brazil, Iran, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Algeria.

Sincere thanks to the ophthalmologic societies that encouraged your ministers of health to support the resolution and to all others who were involved.

With warm regards,

Bruce Spivey, MD
ICO President

945 Green Street
San Francisco, CA, 94133, USA
(1-415) 409-8410
Fax: (1-415) 409-8403
spivey@icoph.org
www.icoph.org