World Council of Optometry

21 July 2010

Sydney, Australia, 21 July 2010: Durban is set to play host to 40 nations and their global leaders in eye care and vision correction, at the World Congress on Refractive Error (WCRE) and the World Conference on Optometric Education (WCOE), kicking off in September this year in South Africa.

More than 15 world-renowned international guest speakers will appear over the three days of the World Congress on Refractive Error (WCRE). One of the most anticipated speakers is Dr Kumi Naidoo, Executive Director of Greenpeace International, who will speak on the opening day. Dr Naidoo first came to prominence as an activist in South Africa where he championed reform of widespread injustice and violation of civil liberties.  Speaking on his civil contributions in 2009 Dr Naidoo commented, "History teaches us that real change only comes when good men and women are prepared to put their lives and personal safety on the line to advance the cause of justice, equity and peace.”

Other featured speakers are Professor Brien Holden, CEO Brien Holden Vision Institute in Australia; Professor Gullapalli Rao, Chair, LV Prasad Eye Institute in India; Dr Hannah Faal, Programme Development Advisor-Health Systems, Sightsavers International in Ghana;  Professor Clare Gilbert, International Eye Health, University of London in the UK; Professor Kovin Naidoo, Global Programmes Director, International Centre for Eyecare International in South Africa; Professor Kevin Frick, Department of Health Policy, John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in the USA; Kashinath Bhoosnurmath, Senior Director, Operation Eyesight Universal in India; Peter Ackland, CEO, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness in the UK; Dr Haroon Awan, Director Programme Innovations and Technical Cooperation, Sightsavers International in Pakistan; Tim Fricke,  Research Manager, Asia Pacific, International Centre for Eyecare International in Australia;  Joseph Cho, Division Head, Research and Development, Hong Kong Society for the Blind; Hasan Minto, Low Vision and Refractive Errors Advisor, Sightsavers International in Pakistan; Jennifer Gersbeck, CEO, Vision 2020 Australia in Australia; Dr Caroline Harper, Chief Executive, Sightsavers International in the UK.

Abstracts have been submitted to WCRE from Africa, Europe, Nepal, Fiji, India, United Kingdom, Australia, South East Asia and the USA, offering over 70 presenters, all specialists in their fields, from over 40 nations around the world. WCRE is centred on efforts to eliminate refractive error and the theme of the 2010 World Congress is Vision Correction: Broadening the Development Agenda.

Professor Kovin Naidoo, WCRE Conference Chair, was extremely positive about what the approaching conferences could achieve. “The first World Congress surpassed our expectations in attendance and outcomes – the second congress will build on this success,” he said.  “Presentations for WCRE will cover relevant themes in the fight against avoidable blindness and vision impairment such as: evaluation of global practises and resources; offering solutions of strategic cooperation between organisations and governments to increase accessibility of eye care in the developing world; assessing the growth of visual health knowledge and the possibility of social enterprise and its role in assisting development of local services.”

The World Conference on Optometric Education (WCOE) will be opened by guest speakers Professor George Woo, President, World Council of Optometry, Dean, Faculty of Health and Social Sciences and Chair Professor of Optometry, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, and Associate Professor Bina Patel, Director of International Programmes, The New England College of Optometry in the USA.

WCOE has over 40 invited presenters from around the globe bringing together optometric educators from 80 World Council of Optometry member organisations. The Conference theme is Meeting Societies Needs; Challenges and Trends in Optometric Education.

Caroline Hyde-Price, Executive Director, World Council of Optometry, said the approaching conference will focus on a whole range of optometric educational advancement and initiatives.  “The event will offer a stimulating and diverse programme and promises to be a great opportunity to share global views surrounding optometric education,” she said.  “The presentations will delve into issues such as: the global human resource challenge and cultural competence across the globe; resource platforms for optometric institutions including rural and regional locations; updates and recent optometric advancements; the uses of the primary eye care acute referral scheme and online preliminary evaluation. There will also be discussion on the role of the media and innovations in critical thinking and the redesigning of continuing education to assist future progress.”

Attendees of the twin conferences will enjoy combined social events namely the Cocktail Party on the opening night of WCRE and the legendary Gala Dinner marking the closing of WCRE and the opening of WCOE. These events promise to offer a great opportunity for international guests to enjoy talking openly about new ideas in a relaxed ambiance.