Ophthalmologic Societies:

More News of Societies, IFOS and the ICO

More news headlines:

• Council adopts revised Regulations
  
  
• More news from Florence and from previous IFOS and Council meetings
  
  
• Time required for notifications to IFOS reducedIFOS approves same dues for societies
  
  
• International Congress to be called "World Ophthalmology Congress"
  
  
• Council approves Pathology, Bietti and Krwawicz Medals
  
  
• Ophthalmologists must lead eye care
  
  
• Implementation of VISION 2020 moves to the national level
  
  
• Other ways societies and ophthalmologists can participate
  
  
• ICO sends International Ophthalmology to IFOS societies
  
  
• Society leaders asked to update ICO database
  
  
• Enthusiastic reaction to the ICO Leader Letter
  
  
• WHO renews official relationship with IFOS; thanks societies for their support
  
  
• Council defines policies for International Congress of Ophthalmology
  
  
• Council approves continuing medical education (CME) requirements

(Also see: Latest News of Societies, ICO and IFOS)

Council adopts revised Regulations

At its meeting in Florence in May 2005, the International Council of Ophthalmology adopted changes in the Regulations of the Council, International Congress of Ophthalmology and Awards.

The Regulations for the Awards add the ICO Ophthalmic Pathology Award, Bietti Medal and Tadeusz Krwawicz Gold Medal approved by the Council in October 2004. No more than five medals will be presented at the opening ceremonies of a World Congress.

The revised Regulations of the Council also clarify the requirements for a quorum and passing of resolutions by the Council. In the future, proposed changes in regulations will need to be distributed to the Council two months before their meeting, instead of three months, which was previously required.

More news from Florence and previous IFOS and ICO meetings

Also see more news from the ICO meeting in Florence in 2005 and from previous IFOS and Council meetings in New Orleans in 2004 and the Council meeting New Delhi in 2003.

Time required for notifications to IFOS reduced

In the future, IFOS will need to be notified of recommended changes in the Statutes at least three months before the General Assembly, according to a change in the Statutes approved in October 2004 in New Orleans.

Six months’ notice was required previously. Proposed amendments must be distributed to IFOS representatives at least two months before General Assembly, compared to five months previously.

The Council recommended these changes because information can be distributed much more quickly now than when the requirements were originally adopted.

International Congress will be renamed "World Ophthalmology Congress"

The Council voted unanimously in New Orleans to change the name of the International Congress of Ophthalmology to the "World Ophthalmology Congress."

Congress organizers recommended the change to help them distinguish the meeting from the many other international congresses.

Council approves Pathology, Bietti and Krwawicz Medals

The Council approved presentation of three additional medals/awards at opening sessions of the World Ophthalmology Congress (previously International Congress of Ophthalmology):

• The Ophthalmic Pathology Award, supported by the Gottfried and Lieselotte Naumann Foundation,
  
  
• The Bietti Medal, which will be awarded in recognition of scientific and educational contributions in ophthalmology and for facilitating international communications in the ophthalmic community, and
  
  
• The Tadeusz Krwawicz Gold Medal, which will recognize significant contributions to the advance of ophthalmology, especially in diseases of the anterior segment and/or introduction of new technologies, and to the advancement of international relationships among ophthalmologists.

The Council also approved guidelines for the awarding of medals at the Congresses, which will be published on the ICO Eye Site in the future. No more than five medals will be presented during the opening ceremonies of any one Congress.

Ophthalmologists must lead eye care

At its meeting in New Orleans, the Council discussed the concerted initiative of the profession of optometry to expand its scope of practice worldwide, including obtaining authority to perform surgery, which has been adopted in some countries.

Council members agreed that ophthalmology in general and national ophthalmologic societies specifically should lead efforts to develop eye care teams to meet the needs of the public.

Part of that process should be defining what it is appropriate for different providers to do, Council members suggested, but that must be based on local needs and resources.

Implementation of VISION 2020 moves to the national level

Gullapalli N. (Nag) Rao, MD, new president of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) and member of the ICO, reported to the Council on the progress of VISION 2020: The Right to Sight, the global initiative that aims to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020, which was launched in 1999.

Plans for implementation of VISION 2020 have been defined in each of the six WHO regions, and national plans have been defined in at least 10 countries, Dr. Rao said.

The ICO encourages ophthalmologic societies and individual ophthalmologists to get involved in the definition of their national VISION 2020 plans.

A revised toolkit for developing national, provincial and local VISION 2020 action plans is available on a CD and at: http://www.v2020.org/toolkit/Toolkit2/start.htm.

Other ways societies and ophthalmologists can participate

Ophthalmologic societies and individual ophthalmologists can also have a great impact on preservation of vision, Dr. Rao said, by being involved in training of ophthalmologists and allied eye care personnel, particularly in developing countries.

Ophthalmologists can play a critical role by serving as advocates to national leaders, he said, and helping to "bring the massive problem of blindness to the focus of policy makers and the public."

ICO sends Directory of International Ophthalmology to IFOS Societies

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) sent a copy of its Directory of International Ophthalmology, its listing of ophthalmologic societies and ophthalmology residency programs around the world, to each member society of the International Federation of Ophthalmologic Societies (IFOS).

Additional copies of International Ophthalmology are available for $US 50 per copy from the ICO Secretary-General.

Please note that the contents of International Ophthalmology and the ICO database on which it is based are copyrighted by the ICO and cannot be used for any other purpose than individual contacts, without the written permission of the ICO.

Society leaders requested to update ICO database

The ICO asks leaders of ophthalmologic societies to keep the information on your societies and residency programs in the ICO database up-to-date.

Leaders can check the listing for your society at www.icoph.org/soc/ifos.cfm. If it is not accurate, see www.icoph.org/soc/database.html#review for directions on how to update the information.

If you have questions or need help, contact ICO Secretary General Bruce Spivey, MD, at spivey@icoph.org.

Thank you for helping to keep the listings up-to-date.

Enthusiastic reaction to the ICO Leader Letter

There has been a strong positive response to the ICO Leader Letter, a monthly e-mail newsletter that the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) sends to representatives of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) and other ophthalmologic leaders worldwide.

Paul Sieving, MD, PhD, director of the U.S. National Eye Institute, called the Letter a "significant advance in communicating international needs, opportunities and achievements to a broad audience."

The ICO Leader Letter is intended to provide news of ophthalmology and the ICO and resources that will be valuable to international leaders.

You can read the Leader Letter on the Eye Site and subscribe to it here.

WHO renews official relationship with IFOS; thanks societies for their support

The World Health Organization (WHO) has renewed official relations with the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS).

In a February 17, 2003 letter, Nadia Younes, WHO Executive Director of External Relations and Governing Bodies, wrote, "In making its decision, the Board commended the efforts of your organization in support of the work of WHO."

"I would also like to thank your members [IFOS societies] for their continuing interest in working with the WHO," she said. "I hope that the activities planned for the next three years between you and Dr. S. Resnikoff in the Prevention of Blindness and Deafness team...will be as fruitful."

Council defines policies for International Congress of Ophthalmology

The Council has clarified its policies for future International Congresses of Ophthalmology, beyond 2010. It will:

• Sponsor Congresses every two years in conjunction with a supranational society or a national society recommended by a supranational
  
  
• Rotate locations in the following order: Americas, Asia, Europe, Africa
  
  
• Seek a minimum financial commitment from a sponsoring society, with a goal of splitting any net proceeds from the Congress equally with the sponsoring society
  
  
• Negotiate details for the Congress prior to awarding the Congress site.

For details, see the full policies.

Council approves continuing medical education (CME) requirements

The ICO adopted recommended requirements for continuing medical education (CME) at its meeting in New Delhi in January 2003.

The requirements cover defining the objectives of courses, evaluation, relationships with industry and conflicts of interest. They reaffirm and expand on requirements adopted by the ICO in Amsterdam in June 1998.

The Council hopes that the requirements will be useful to ophthalmological societies developing or evaluating continuing education programs for their members.

Next: Contact Information for Societies, ICO and IFOS

Also see: Database of Ophthalmological Societies and Residencies