14/08/2015
PRESS NOTE: 13-08-2015: Hyderabad to host the 2017 World Congress of Optometry Conference
India will host the world’s largest gathering of optometry and eye care professionals at Hyderabad during 11 to 13 September 2017. The announcement was made by Dr Susan Cooper, President of the World Council of Optometry (WCO), at the inaugural World Congress of Optometry Conference in Columbia on 13 August 2015. To be hosted by the India Vision Institute (IVI), in partnership with WCO, the conference is expected to attract around 2000 delegates and 70 exhibitors from across the world.
“India has been gaining the attention on the world map of optometry with remarkable strides through advances in education, research and combating preventable blindness. We look forward to having our next Congress in Hyderabad. We are also delighted that we can partner with IVI, an institution which stands for positioning Optometry as a key player in eye care delivery through its impressive range of initiatives across India”, said Dr Cooper.
Welcoming the decision, IVI CEO, Vinod Daniel said that the Congress will prove to be a landmark in the history of Indian optometry and will accelerate the positive change that is happening in Indian Optometry. IVI continues to work with government, health authorities, eye care professionals, academic institutions and industry to make a sustainable difference for provision of eye care in India; and this conference will be a celebratory milestone for India, he added.
“Uncorrected refractive error remains a major cause of avoidable vision impairment and the second most common cause of blindness in India accounting to 39.3 million affected people. This huge number itself indicates the need for trained professionals, collective efforts and equitable solutions. The conference will help in taking a step towards these growth indicators by highlighting the cause and what optometry is achieving globally and in India” said Prof Kovin Naidoo, the current conference chair and interim CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute
A registered trust, IVI acts as a catalyst to help India achieve socially responsible, high quality vision care and an industry that can support: excellent eye care available to all; state of the art Indian optometry; excellent eye care education; international leadership in cutting-edge vision care research and development; and viable Indian vision and optical industry, playing a substantial part in global eye care. IVI is an initiative of the L V Prasad Eye Institute of Hyderabad and the Brien Holden Vision Institute, Sydney.
The World Council of Optometry (WCO) is the global organization for optometry professionals, their associations and institutions. Optometry organizations and institutions, associations, councils, schools and colleges are in membership from 48 countries, representing over 200,000 optometrists globally. The WCO is the first and only optometry organization in official relations with the World Health Organization. The mission of WCO is to facilitate the enhancement and development of eye and vision care worldwide via education, humanitarian outreach and policy development.
