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WAEH – Annual Meeting 2023 – A recap!

July 16, 2026

The 17th Annual WAEH meeting took place from October the 10th till October the 14th 2023 in Australia! Hosted by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Eye Hospital from Melbourne, and the Sydney Eye Hospital and the Chatswood Private Hospital from Sydney. 

The themes for this year were: Innovation, Philanthropy, Sustainability, Workforce and Quality and Safety in Eyecare. Members of the WAEH got the change to network with the global network of eye hospitals and exchange knowledge and experience!

Day one – Tuesday, October 10th


The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital

Day two and three
Wednesday and Thursday
October 11th & 12th


Sydney Eye Hospital

Day four – Friday, October 13th


Chatswood Private Hospital

Day five – Saturday, October 14th


Sol Innovation Award

The winner of the SOL Innovation Award 2023 is The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Australia with a poster about A Developmental Approach to Equity and Inclusion Leading to Sustainable Cultural Change at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital! On the picture you see Cathy Kowalewski, our former chair of the WAEH and administrator of the Wilmer Eye Johns Hopkins – Baltimore, USA and Joanne Brodie, Director of Communications of The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Melbourne, Australia.


WAEH Public Award

The Public Award 2023 has been won by Diana Malata, from The Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital from Dublin, Ireland with her poster about the nurse-led corneal crosslinking clinic at the RVEEH in Dublin.


WAEH New Chair

The World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH) is delighted to announce the appointment of Brendon Gardner, CEO of The Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital in Melbourne, as the new Chair of the organization. He officially assumes this leadership role, succeeding the outgoing Chair, Cathy Kowalewski of Wilmer Eye Johns Hopkins, who commendably served in this capacity for the past two years. Brendon Gardner’s new position was formally announced during the 17th Annual Meeting of the WAEH.

Read more about the new chair of the WAEH here.


A HUGE THANK you to the team of RVEEH, Sydney Eye Hospital and Chatswood Private Hospital


Aboriginal Cultural Activity at RVEEH


Meet up of the CoP Human Resources during the WAEH2023

Are you a Human Resources professional and working in a WAEH member eye hospital? Want to join? Register here!


Community of Practice Nurses – meet up during WAEH2023

Want to know more about education for nurses and allied health? Want to join? Register here!

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