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ICO Leader Letter

December 2011, Volume 8, Number 13

1. WOC 2012– CEUs Announced for Abu Dhabi Meeting

The World Ophthalmology Congress® 2012 is accredited by the European Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (EACCME) to provide up to 30 European CME credits (ECMEC) for the meeting in Abu Dhabi. Participants who attend WOC sessions may validate credits in their own country, including conversion to AMA and Canadian credits.

• Please visit the WOC site for CEU details at: www.woc2012.org/cme_credits.html

From February 16-20, 2012, at the WOC you will experience a high level scientific program in a colorful, cosmopolitan locale.

• View the complete, searchable program on the WOC 2012 Web site: www.WOC2012.org/scientific_program.html.

Abu Dhabi is known for its old world charm and sophistication, palaces and skyscrapers in a clean and safe environment. There is virtually zero crime rate in Abu Dhabi, named by the 2011 Mercer Quality of Living Index as the safest Middle East city and one of the safest cities of the world.

For the most up-to-date WOC information:

• WOC 2012 e-newsletter at: www.woc2012.org/news.html
• WOC 2012 Web site at: www.woc2012.org
• For information on Abu Dhabi, go to: www.woc2012.org/city_information.html

For questions about WOC registration:

• Please email the WOC2012 Registration Team at pco@woc2012.org

We look forward to seeing you in Abu Dhabi!

2. ICO Helmerich RRF International 2012 Fellowships Announced

Henry E. Nkumbe, MD, from Madagascar, and Pukhraj Rishi, MD, from Chennai, India, have been awarded the ICO Helmerich RRF International Fellowships for 2012. Each year, the ICO selects for the Fellowships two outstanding young ophthalmologists from developing countries who are committed to enhancing ophthalmic education and patient care in their home countries.

A native of Cameroon, Dr. Nkumbe is a graduate of the University of Goettingen, Germany. He was assigned to Madagascar by the international disability and development organization CBM and has been instrumental in implementation of VISION 2020 and training of eye doctors and ophthalmic personnel, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health of Madagascar and the Malagasy Ophthalmological Society. He is a founding member of the Cameroonian Forum for Medical Sciences, and the General Secretary of the African Ophthalmology Forum. The Retina surgery fellowship at the Eye Foundation Hospital in Lagos, Nigeria, and the Jules Stein Eye Institute at the University of California, Los Angeles, will enable Dr. Nkumbe to lead ophthalmology training and public service programs in Cameroon.

Dr. Rishi is a graduate of B J Medical College and M & J Institute of Ophthalmology in Ahmedabad. He trains residents, fellows and ophthalmic personnel at the Sankara Nethralya Medical Research Foundation in Chennai, India, where he also conducts research and clinical trials. His Helmerich Fellowship in ocular oncology at the Wills Eye Institute will enable Dr. Rishi to build global partnerships with leading oncology research centers.

Sponsored by the Retina Research Foundation (RRF) in cooperation with the ICO Foundation, the Helmerich Fellowship program began in 2009 to honor the public service leadership of Mr. W.H. Helmerich III. The fellowships support one year of ophthalmology subspecialty training.

• To apply for the 2013 ICO Helmerich RRF International Fellowships, please refer to: www.icoph.org/helmerich.

- Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, Member, ICO Board of Trustees

3. IAPB 9GA – Call for Abstracts

The International Agency for Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) 9th General Assembly (9GA) will be held in Hyderabad, India, September 17-20, 2012.

The 9GA will discuss public health topics related to blindness and visual impairment, attracting decision-makers and thought-leaders from NGOs and other eye health communities.

The 9GA theme, “Eye Health: Everyone's Business,” recognizes that equitable, sustainable eye health programs are best realized with collaboration and partnership between private, public and non-profit sectors.

Abstracts for the 9GA program may be submitted online at www.9ga.iapb.org, and conference registration is now open. The deadline for abstracts is March 1, 2012, and selected presentations will be announced by April 30. Participants requiring visas are strongly encouraged to submit their abstracts as soon as possible.

In partnership with the L V Prasad Eye Institute, the 9GA brings together the eye health community to network, share information and highlight progress in VISION 2020: The Right to Sight.

• To register online and submit abstracts for 9GA, go to: www.9ga.iapb.org

– Hugh R. Taylor, AC, MD, ICO Treasurer

4. ICO Society Directory Updates – Deadline is January 6, 2012

Please help us update the ICO Directory of Ophthalmologic Societies, so that your society profile and contact information are current for presentation at the World Ophthalmology Congress ® (WOC) 2012.

The 2012 ICO Directory will list all of the national and international ophthalmologic societies in the world, in a publication to be distributed at the WOC in Abu Dhabi.

ICO needs your correct society profile information online at www.icoph.org/SocietyProfile.html by January 6, 2012.

If we have not received your society’s updated information online, by January 6, 2012, we will use the information we already have.

How can you update your society profile information?

• Start by checking your current Society Profile on the ICO Web site: www.icoph.org/SocietyProfile.html.
• You can find detailed instructions for updating your profile at: www.icoph.org/Directory_Instructions.pdf
• If you cannot log-in or cannot update your society profile, please email us at info@icoph.org

-- Jean-Jacques De Laey, MD, ICO Secretary General

5. ICO General Assembly on February 16 To Consider Changes in Statutes

The ICO extends an invitation to leaders of ICO Member societies, as well as the official Representative from each Member society, to join us at the ICO General Assembly in Abu Dhabi:

• Thursday, February 16, 2012, 14:00 to 17:00.

A reception to honor ICO Member societies will follow the General Assembly.

At the General Assembly, ICO will offer stimulating presentations and small group discussions on diabetic retinopathy and training eye care teams to meet the needs of communities. There was a universally positive response to these small group discussions at the General Assembly in Berlin in 2010.

The General Assembly will consider revisions to ICO Statutes. The revisions recommended by the ICO Board are primarily to implement changes in governance called for in the new Strategic Plan, more specifically:

1. Hire a Chief Executive Officer (CEO), an ophthalmologist who would be a full-time ICO employee, elected by the Board and paid to take primary responsibility for leading and managing the ICO. If approved, the ICO Board will elect a CEO at a later meeting, during the WOC.

2. Change the terms of the current four ICO Officers (one from each supranational region) from four years to two years, with the current Secretary General becoming a second Vice President.

For more background on the proposed changes in ICO Governance, please see this communication from July 2011: www.icoph.org/ico-governance.html.

-- Akef El Maghraby, MD, ICO Vice President

6. Upcoming ICO Meetings and World Ophthalmology Congresses

• ICO Board of Trustees Meeting: February 15, 2012, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• ICO General Assembly: February 16, 2012, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
• World Ophthalmology Congress®: February 16–20, 2012, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (www.woc2012.org)
• World Ophthalmology Congress®: April 2-6, 2014, Tokyo,Japan
• World Ophthalmology Congress®: February 5–9, 2016, Guadalajara, Mexico

Upcoming ICO Meetings and World Ophthalmology Congresses

Conference for Ophthalmic Educators, Busan, Korea, April 12:
New Techniques to Enhance Teaching and Learning

• Register online to attend: icoph.org/rsvp/Busan

World Ophthalmology Congress Meetings

• WOC2014: Tokyo, Japan, April 2-6, 2014, www.woc2014.org
• WOC2016: Guadalajara, Mexico, February 5–9, 2016
• WOC2018: Barcelona, Spain (provisional selection, dates to be announced)

More News

For more news of the ICO and international ophthalmology and resources for ophthalmologic leaders, see the ICO Web site at www.icoph.org.

Request for Other News and Resources

Do you have other news of international ophthalmology or know resources (particularly on the Web) that would be valuable to ophthalmologic leaders? Please let us know at leader@icoph.org.

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