News of the ICO, Ophthalmology and Vision:

News of 2006 ICO and IFOS Meetings and World Ophthalmology Congress in São Paulo

World Congress and ICO news headlines:

• ICO calls for increased support for prevention of blindness
  
  
• Council asks Societies to promote WHO resolution
  
  
• World Congress exceeds expectations
  
  
• 2008 World Ophthalmology Congress in Hong Kong
  
  
• 2010 World Congress in Berlin
  
  
• 2012 World Congress in Chicago
  
  
• Council approves Ethical Code, new IFOS Members
  
  
• ICO adopts Code of Ethics for Ophthalmologists
  
  
• Council approves report on vision for driving
  
  
• Education Committee completes curricula
  
  
• Council elects officers for 2006 - 2010
  
  
• IFOS elects new Council members
  
  
• Dr. Naumann reports on progress
  
  
• Council establishes G.O.H. Naumann Award
  
  
• Council thanks Drs. Gloor, Spivey, Tso and outgoing members

Also see:

• more news from the 2006 ICO and IFOS meetings in São Paulo
• other recent news
• the latest ICO Leader Letter.

(The Eye Site is the Internet home for the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO), executive body of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS).)

ICO calls for increased support for prevention of blindness

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) has renewed its commitment to help make prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment a higher priority worldwide.

The ICO is asking national ophthalmologic societies and others to generate support for adoption of a WHO resolution that calls for increasing support for prevention of blindness initiatives both within countries and internationally.

At its meeting on February 19, during the World of Ophthalmology Congress in São Paulo, Brazil, the Council voted:

Two days later, the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS), the parent body of the ICO, adopted the same policy.

Council asks societies to promote WHO resolution

The ICO is calling on national ophthalmologic societies and others to take action to build support for adoption of WHO Resolution EB117.R4 at the 59th World Health Assembly (WHA), May 22 to 27 in Geneva.

The Council is asking national societies and other ophthalmologic leaders to contact their ministers of health and other members of national delegations to the WHA and urge them to support Resolution EB117.R4 at the Assembly in May.

Adopted by the WHO Executive Board on January 26, the resolution on "Prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment" asks WHA Member States (i.e., countries) to:

• reinforce efforts to define national VISION 2020 plans
• provide funding necessary to support those plans
• include prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment in national development plans and goals.

The resolution asks WHO to:

• give priority to prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment
• provide necessary technical support to member states and support for collaboration among countries
• monitor progress on the global initiative and report to the Executive Board every three years.

You can download the resolution from www.icoph.org/pdf/WHOresolutionEB117R4.pdf (16 KB).

"Active support from ophthalmologic societies and individual ophthalmologists for adoption of the resolution could be critical to increasing the resources allocated to prevention of blindness around the world," said Council Member Gullapolli (Nag) N. Rao, MD, President of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), which is spearheading support for the Resolution.

World Congress exceeds expectations

The World Ophthalmology Congress on February 19 – 24 in São Paulo, Brazil exceeded all expectations, with more than 12,000 registrants from 120 countries.

The Congress was also the 30th International Congress of Ophthalmology, 26th Pan-American Congress of Ophthalmology and 17th Brazilian Congress of Prevention of Blindness.

"This was the best International Congress since 1857," commented ICO President Fritz Naumann, MD. The first International Congress of Ophthalmology was in 1857 in Brussels.

Highlights of the World Congress included:

• the first-ever World Forum of Non-Profit Organizations on Vision and Prevention of Blindness
• four "Subspecialty Days," one-day immersion programs led by top ophthalmologists on glaucoma, retina, cataract and cornea and refractive surgery
• 2,500 speakers from all ophthalmic subspecialties and all regions of the world
• 400 scientific sessions with 4000 presentations
• Opening Ceremonies, a WOCarnival Ball and other social events that introduced registrants to the music and flavors of Brazil.

It was the first International Congress of Ophthalmology held in South America.

2008 World Ophthalmology Congress in Hong Kong

The next World Ophthalmology Congress, the XXXI International Congress of Ophthalmology, will be June 28 – July 2, 2008 in Hong Kong.

Congress President Dennis Lam, MD, reported to the Council in São Paulo that the Congress will be held in conjunction with the XX Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium and the XII Chinese Ophthalmological Symposium. This will be the first time that the Chinese Ophthalmological Society meets in Hong Kong.

Registration and abstract submission will open in December. For more, see www.woc2008hongkong.org.

2010 World Congress in Berlin

Gerhard Lang, MD, reported to the Council on plans for the XXXII International Congress of Ophthalmology, which is scheduled June 6 - 10, 2010 in Berlin.

The German Ophthalmological Society will host.

See the preliminary Congress Web site at www.woc2010.de.

2012 World Congress in Chicago

The XXXIII International Congress of Ophthalmology will be a joint meeting with the American Academy of Ophthalmology in Chicago, November 10 - 13, 2012.

Council approves Ethical Code, new IFOS members

At its meeting in São Paulo, the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO):

• approved an "Ethical Code for Ophthalmologists"
  
  
• adopted a final report on "Vision Requirements for Driving Safety"
  
  
• approved 17 subspecialty societies and related groups as new members of IFOS
  
  
• discussed the completion and dissemination of ICO curriculum guidelines for residency training, medical student education in ophthalmology, allied eye care personnel and continuing medical education of ophthalmologists
  
  
• considered updates on the IFOS/ICO Fellowship, Basic and Clinical Assessments and International Clinical Guidelines
  
  
• reviewed new data developed by the Committee on Countries With Minimal Ophthalmic Presence and discussed options for improving ophthalmic education in those countries
  
  
• heard progress reports from the WHO, IAPB and the VISION 2020 global initiative
  
  
• discussed progress on ICO-stimulated initiatives to enhance residency training in Nigeria and courses for residency program directors being scheduled around the world
  
  
• reviewed plans for future World Ophthalmology Congresses in 2008 in Kong Kong, 2010 in Berlin and 2012 in Chicago
  
  
• considered reports from the five major supranational ophthalmologic societies, including plans for supranational Congresses in 2006 and 2007
  
  
• elected officers Akef El Maghraby, MD, of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as ICO Vice President; Jean-Jacques DeLaey, MD, of Ghent, Belgium as Secretary General; and Yasuo Tano, MD, of Osaka, Japan as Treasurer (They will serve for four years with Bruce Spivey, MD, of San Francisco, USA, who was previously elected ICO President.)
  
  
• nominated other members of the Council, who were subsequently elected by IFOS
  
  
• approved a financial report from Treasurer Balder Gloor, MD, and budget for 2006 - 2007 that will benefit significantly from income from the World Congress
  
  
• approved a "G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care" in honor of the outgoing ICO President.

See more on the Council meeting, IFOS General Assembly and other events in São Paulo.

Council Adopts Code of Ethics for Ophthalmologists

On the recommendation of its Advisory Committee, the Council adopted a code of ethics prepared by the ICO Ethics Committee, chaired by Advisory Committee member Pinar Aydin, MD, PhD, of Turkey.

Titled "An Ethical Code for Ophthalmologists: Ethical Principles and Professional Standards," the code defines moral principles and standards to guide the behavior of ophthalmologists related to:

• patient care
• professional practice
• professional community
• research
• communications to the public
• fees and commercial interests.

The Ethical Code was developed over the course of two years with guidance from professional ethicists. It is on the ICO Web site at www.icoph.org/ethics and can be downloaded as a PDF file from www.icoph.org/pdf/icoethicalcode.pdf (164 KB). Comments are welcome.

The core-Code is intended to be general and include principles and not regulations, Dr. Aydin told the Council, but could be used as a basis for defining more specific codes of ethics for ophthalmologists within individual countries.

ICO Vice President and Education Director Mark Tso, MD, suggested that the Ethics Committee consider in the future how to teach ethics, particularly in developing countries. "It is a vital question for our profession," Dr. Tso said, and suggested that there be sessions on ethics at every World Congress.

Other members of the Ethics Committee are Pran Nagpal, MD, and Antonio G. Secchi, MD. Albert Jonsen, PhD and Charles Zacks, MD were consultants to the Committee.

Council approves report on vision for driving

The Council approved a report on "Vision Requirements for Driving Safety" prepared by ICO Committee on Standards Chairman Jean-Jacques DeLaey, MD, and Standards Committee Member August Colenbrander, MD.

The report recognizes the profound impact vision requirements for driving have and the need to make them more uniform around the world. It evaluates:

• current visual requirements for obtaining a driver's license in various countries
• the literature on the relationship between vision and driving safety, and
• ways to assess different visual functions that relate to driving ability.

The report evaluates various options for testing and suggests that a compromise may have to be found between ideal testing and economic feasibility.

The report on "Vision Requirements for Driving Safety" can be downloaded from www.icoph.org/pdf/visionfordriving.pdf. The full report will be posted on the ICO Eye Site.

Education Committee completes curricula

ICO Education Director Mark Tso, MD, reported to the Council that international task forces have completed preparing draft curricula for:

• ophthalmology residency training
• ophthalmic education of medical students
• education of para-ophthalmic providers
• continuing medical education in ophthalmology.

Definition of the four curricula was one of the top priorities defined in the Vision for the Future strategic plan for international ophthalmology defined in 1999 - 2001.

The curricula for residency training (www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurricres.pdf - 356 KB) and for medicals students (www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurricmed.pdf - 220 KB) have been through several previous drafts.

The curriculum for other eye care personnel (www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurricpara.pdf - 368 KB) and guidelines for continuing medical education (www.icoph.org/pdf/icocurriccme.pdf - 244 KB) are new and comments will be appreciated.

Dr. Tso said the future focus of the Education Committee would be on publication and dissemination of the curricula and encouraging ophthalmologic societies to adapt them for use in their countries.

Council elects officers for 2006 - 2010

At its meeting in São Paulo, the Council elected the following officers:

• Akef El Maghraby, MD, of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as Vice President
• Jean-Jacques DeLaey, MD, of Ghent, Belgium, as ICO Secretary General
• Yasuo Tano, MD, of Osaka, Japan as Treasurer.

Bruce Spivey, MD, of San Francisco, USA, had been elected President at the prior Council meeting in 2005. The officers and the rest of the Council took office at the end of the São Paulo Congress and will serve through the 2010 Congress in Berlin.

Guidelines adopted in 2004 call for the officers to be selected from different supranational regions, if possible.

IFOS elects new Council members

The ICO nominated and IFOS elected seven new members of the Council, including:

• Veit-Peter Gabel, MD, of Regensburg, Germany, to serve as Fellowship Director
• Tero Kivela, MD, of Helsinki, Finland, to serve as Standards Director
• Enrique Graue, MD, of Mexico City, Mexico
• Stephen Ryan, MD, Los Angeles, United States
• Grace Saguti, MD, of Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, East Africa
• Abhay R. Vasavada, MBBS, Ahmedabad, India
• Jialiang Zhao, MD, Beijing, China.

Peter Watson, FRCS, FRCOphth, was elected President of the Academia Ophthalmologica Internationalis in São Paulo and will represent the AOI on the Council.

Abdulaziz Al-Rajhi, MD, of Saudi Arabia, will represent the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO). The representative of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology is still to be named.

Dennis Lam, MD, of Hong Kong, president of the 2008 World Congress in Hong Kong, and Gerhard Lang, MD, president of the 2010 World Congress in Berlin, will also serve on the Council.

Other Council members will remain the same. See the full list at: www.icoph.org/ic/iccoun.html.

Dr. Naumann reports on progress

On behalf of all of the officers, ICO President Fritz Naumann, MD, reported to the Council and IFOS in São Paulo on progress made by the ICO/IFOS in the previous eight years "standing on the shoulders of our predecessors."

"Did we achieve all of our goals? Of course not," Dr. Naumann told the Council. "But we did move in the right direction."

Among the highlights, he cited adding more national societies and subspecialty societies as members of IFOS, maintaining good relationships with WHO, IAPB, VISION 2020 and others and the substantial list of the ICO programs and initiatives.

"But there are still major challenges and room for improvement," Dr. Naumann said, "particularly regarding countries still not represented in IFOS and those with few or no ophthalmologists." He encouraged the next Council to intensify relationships between the ICO and IFOS and between IFOS member societies and their members and to continue to collaborate with other groups critical to the future of eye care.

See Dr. Naumann’s full report.

Council establishes G.O.H. Naumann Award

At the end of its meeting, the Council honored outgoing President Naumann by establishing the "G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care."

The award recognizes both the leadership that Dr. Naumann provided as ICO President from 1998 to 2006 and the importance that he placed on ophthalmology and ophthalmologists providing leadership for the preservation of vision worldwide.

The Naumann Award will be made to one ophthalmologist each year who, acting as a leader of an IFOS member society, has made a significant contribution to global eye care. The ICO will pay traveling expenses for the awardee to participate in the Council meeting that year.

Supranational societies and IFOS members will be asked to make nominations each year, and the winner will be selected by a committee chaired by the Vice President.

Council thanks Drs. Gloor, Spivey, Tso and outgoing members

The ICO also recognized and thanked Balder Gloor, MD, for his contributions to the Council, IFOS and international ophthalmology. Dr. Gloor served for 12 years as ICO Treasurer, in addition to creating and directing the IFOS/ICO Fellowship program.

Dr. Naumann thanked outgoing Secretary General Bruce Spivey, MD for his dedication and hard work and Mark Tso, MD, for his service as Vice President and ICO Director of Education for the past eight years. Dr. Spivey will continue on the Council as President and Dr. Tso as Director of Education.

The Council also recognized the contributions of the following members who completed their terms on the ICO at the end of the Congress:

• Adenike Abiose, MD
• Rafael Cortez, MD
• August Deutman, MD
• Peter Hardy Smith, MD
• Paul Lichter, MD
• Frank Martin, MD
• Pran Nagpal, MD,
• Koichi Shimizu, MD.

Next: More news from the 2006 ICO and IFOS meetings in São Paulo

(Also see:

• Other News
• the latest issue of the ICO Leader Letter)