Newsletter WAEH | July
WAEH Community of Practice
FAIR Images in Ophthalmology | 27 August 2026
FAIR data stands for Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable. These are principles for managing, storing, and publishing research data in such a way that both humans and computers can easily find, understand, and reuse them, making scientific research more efficient and reliable. This CoP will discuss how the FAIR principles can be implemented in ophthalmic care.
This group is led by Dr. Ciara Bergin, Chief Data Officer at the Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin (Lausanne, Switzerland).
🗓️ Thursday, August 27, 2026
🕐 01:00 PM CEST
💻 Online (Zoom)
Are you interested in participating in this Community of Practice? Register now!👇🏼
WAEH at Londrina Unity Health
The World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH) has been invited to contribute to Londrina Unity Health 2026, one of the largest private healthcare management conferences in Southern Brazil, taking place on 13–14 August 2026 in Londrina, Brazil.
Our Global Lead, Maaike van Zuilen, will deliver a presentation on the WAEH, highlighting how international collaboration between eye hospitals helps accelerate innovation, strengthen leadership, and improve the quality of eye care worldwide.
Join us!
🎉Our 20th Annual Meeting is coming up, and this year we are celebrating our Jubileum Year!
Everyone is warmly welcome to join us for this special edition, taking place in São Paulo and Londrina, Brazil and in Santiago, Chile from 9–16 November 2026.
Hosts of this 20th Annual Meeting are the Instituto Suel Abujamra (São Paulo, Brazil), Hoftalon Eye Hospital (Londrina, Brazil) and the Clínica Oftalmológica Pasteur (Santiago, Chile).
The meeting is a great opportunity to:
- Network and collaborate with colleagues from eye hospitals around the world
- Discover the latest global developments in eye hospital care
- Engage in meaningful discussions and exchange experiences
Source: Adobe Stock
Meet the 2026 speakers
As always, we are excited to welcome a wonderful group of inspiring speakers who will share their knowledge, experiences and insights. Their abstracts are already available, giving you a sneak peek at what they will be presenting during the meeting. The abstracts span our key themes for 2026, including:
- Eye Hospital Management
- Patient Experience (User Experience)
- Digital Transformation in Eye Care
- Public Health Systems & Comparative Models
- Human Resources & the Workforce of the Future – From Boomers to GenZ
- Quality of Care in Eye Care
- Applied Research & Innovation in Eye Hospitals
Are you a 2026 speaker?
Are you a 2026 speaker and would like to run through the programme for the 20th WAEH Meeting?
Join one of our WAEH Consultation Hours, where you can ask any questions you may have about the meeting, your presentation, or anything else related to the WAEH. We’re happy to help!
- Thursday September 3 – 13.00 PM CEST
- Monday October 5 – 13.00 PM CEST
- Online meeting link
Register for the in person meeting
Deadline 31st of August 2026
Is your eyehospital a full member? Two attendees are included in the membership.
Is your eyehospital an associate member? One attendee is included in the membership.
Of course you can attend with more than 2 persons!
Request the code to register for free via Maaike: Maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
Please note that all membership fees have to be paid before registering with this code.
Present a poster during the 20th Annual Meeting!
All WAEH members are invited to design a poster for the 20th Annual Meeting.
Get started on your design today!
Source: WAEH Annual Meeting 2024
Don’t forget to book your hotel
If you haven’t booked your hotel yet, check out our recommended hotels!
For your safety and convenience, we strongly recommend staying at one of these hotels.
Explore the Amazon
Explore the Amazon before the 20th Annual Meeting begins by joining a special pre-meeting trip organized by our host, Instituto Suel Abujamra!
Source: Adobe Stock
What to expect – looking back at our 2025 Annual Meeting in France and Switzerland
Source: WAEH Annual Meeting 2025
Sponsors of the 20th Annual Meeting
São Paulo, Brazil
Santiago, Chile
Want to become a sponsor yourself?
Has this exciting event sparked your interest? Would you like to contribute by becoming one of our sponsors? Get in touch with Maaike van Zuilen to receive all details regarding our sponsorship packages!
We are also happy to offer a tailor-made sponsorship package that suits your needs!
WAEH projects of 2026
Each year, three to four projects are carried out to help improve ophthalmic care on a global scale. These projects are funded through the general WAEH budget, and the insights and results are shared with the wider global eye hospital community during the Annual Meeting and through the WAEH Knowledge Hub.
On 31 August, we will officially launch this year’s projects. During the Project Launch, experts from Aravind Eye Care System, India and Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Australia will share their knowledge and insights on key project skills, helping project teams get off to a strong start.
This year the following 4 projects will start:
- Development and Evaluation of a Nurse-Led Ophthalmic Emergency Triage Protocol
- Visions App: Multilingual Expansion Platform
- Establishment of WAEH Dashboard
- Development of a Practical Glaucoma Grading System
Want to read more about the projects of 2026?
Looking ahead to 2027
WAEH Project Funding
If your eye hospital is a WAEH member, you may be eligible for project funding. Each year, the WAEH supports three to four projects with grants of up to €7,500 per project.
Next application round
- Submission deadline: 31 January 2027
- Review: Proposals will be evaluated by the WAEH Board during its meeting at the end of March 2027.
- Requirement: All proposals must be submitted using the standard WAEH Project Proposal Format.
Send your request for the project proposal format to Maaike van Zuilen at
Join the WAEH Community
The WAEH Community is a platform where you and colleagues from around the world canto share updates, discuss ideas, exchange documents, and stay connected. Besides collaboration, the WAEH Community will also feature news, events and dedicated groups for the Communities of Practice.
Please register for the WAEH Community using your hospital email address:
If you do not have a hospital email address, or if registration does not work for your email address, please contact support@waeh.org with your name, email and hospital affiliation.
Note: the WAEH Community is only for employees of WAEH member hospitals!
Building the next generation of leaders in eye care
As part of WAEH’s commitment to strengthening leadership across the global eye care community (and part of our strategy 2025 – 2031), the WAEH is exploring the development of a new Leadership Programme for eye hospital professionals worldwide.
The programme is envisioned as a year-long learning journey focused on leadership, innovation, collaboration, and the future of eye care. The ambition is to develop a first outline together with interested WAEH members and present an initial concept during the WAEH Annual Meeting in São Paulo this November. Following further refinement, we aim to launch the programme in January 2027.
To make sure the programme reflects the needs and ambitions of our community, we are looking for members who would like to join a small working group and help shape its content, format, and learning experience. Whether you are an experienced leader, an emerging professional, or passionate about developing leadership in eye care, your input would be highly valued.
We are also inviting expressions of interest from potential participants. If you would be interested in joining the first cohort when the programme launches in 2027, please let us know.
Interested in helping design the programme or participating as a future learner? We’d love to hear from you.
Please email Maaike van Zuilen: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
WAEH Community of Practice – Fundraising | 2 July 2026
On Thursday 2 July 2026, the WAEH Community of Practice on Fundraising, led by Juliette Fahlenbrach, Head of Philantropy and Donor Relations at Fondation Asile des aveugles – the Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin (Lausanne, Switzerland), took place.
The meeting featured a presentation by Kally Ooi, Director of Development & Community Engagement at the Singapore National Eye Centre (SNEC). Kally presented the development of Vision Save, SNEC’s philanthropic platform established in 2016 to unify fundraising across patient care, education, research, innovation, and community outreach. Rather than raising funds for individual projects, Vision Save was intentionally designed around a single, purpose-driven brand identity that would enable donors to support the broader mission of advancing eye care.
A central message throughout the presentation was that successful fundraising begins with purpose rather than financial need. Donors are generally not inspired by a catalogue of projects; instead, they are motivated by a compelling vision, meaningful impact, and the opportunity to become part of a larger story.
Want to know more about Vision Save and SNEC’s successful approach to fundraising?
Read the full report and watch the recording via the WAEH Community👇🏼
Note: the WAEH Community is for members only. Not registered yet? Please register yourself here for the WAEH Community using your hospital email address.
Source: NHS
NHS staff celebrate ‘incredibly exciting’ new home as Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital fully opens
News from our full member South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust (UK)
Sunderland Specialist Eye Hospital officially opened on 23 July, marking a new era for eye care in the North East. The opening follows the closure of Sunderland Eye Infirmary after more than 80 years of service. The purpose-built hospital provides a modern home for specialist eye services, equipped with advanced technology to support patients across the region for generations. After a phased move, all departments are now fully operational at the Riverside Sunderland site.
The new hospital represents years of planning and investment and aims to improve the experience for patients, families and staff. Clinical Director Ajay Kotagiri and Chief Executive Ken Bremner described the opening as a proud moment, highlighting the hospital’s role in delivering high-quality eye care in the future. The facility also includes sustainable features such as solar panels, air source heat pumps and a green roof, alongside patient-focused spaces including a café, quiet room and support services.
Source: The Rotterdam Eye Hospital
Building the Future of Ophthalmic Surgery Together
News from our full member The Rotterdam Eye Hospital
The Rotterdam Eye Hospital is working with start-up SynthesEyes to develop an advanced surgical simulator for training the next generation of ophthalmic surgeons. The simulator recreates real eye procedures in a virtual environment, allowing young surgeons to practise complex techniques safely before operating on patients. The technology combines the expertise of computer scientists Shervin Deghani and Michael Sommersperger with the clinical experience of vitreoretinal surgeon Koorosh Faridpooya.
Since last year, surgeons, fellows and residents at The Rotterdam Eye Hospital have been testing the simulator and providing feedback to improve its realism and effectiveness. The team is now developing a dedicated module for retinal membrane peeling, based on experienced surgeons’ techniques and strategies. In the future, data from virtual procedures could also support the development of AI and robot-assisted surgery, while keeping the surgeon at the centre of the technology.
Source: L V Prasad Eye Institute
LVPEI Monthly Note: Anniverseries | July 2026
News from our full member LV Prasad Eye Institute
On the first of July, 58 young men and women joined LVPEI in Hyderabad as the latest group of fellows, beginning advanced training in specialties including cornea, retina, glaucoma and paediatric ophthalmology. Education has been central to LVPEI for nearly four decades, with fellows gaining experience through advanced clinical care, research and training across its network of centres. The fellowship also focuses on developing independence, leadership, innovation and compassionate patient care.
This year also marks 20 years of LVPEI’s tertiary care campuses in Bhubaneshwar and Visakhapatnam. Together, the centres have provided more than 4.3 million patient services and performed nearly 480,000 surgeries, while their community programmes have expanded access to eye care across the region. LVPEI is also continuing its focus on sustainability, with solar power now installed across 33 centres. The milestones reflect the institute’s ongoing commitment to education, accessible eye care, research and environmental responsibility.
Source: Moorfields Eye Hospital
Early vitrectomy for endophthalmitis offers hope to patients
News from our full member Moorfields Eye Hospital
A new UK study published in Nature Communications Medicine suggests that early vitrectomy surgery could improve vision more effectively than the current antibiotic-first treatment for acute endophthalmitis. This rare but serious bacterial infection can occur after eye surgery or injections and may lead to severe sight loss or blindness. The 21-centre Phase 2 study involved 63 patients who received vitrectomy within 48–96 hours of diagnosis. After six months, patients who underwent early surgery had a median vision improvement of 40 letters, compared with 13 letters for those receiving the conventional antibiotic treatment.
The study also found that early vitrectomy was associated with faster recovery, fewer non-serious complications and lower rates of retinal detachment. While the results are promising, the small number of patients means a larger Phase 3 trial is needed to confirm the benefits. Lead author Mahi Muqit said the findings show clear potential for improving outcomes and support taking the treatment forward into a definitive clinical trial.
Source: L V Prasad Eye Institute
EyeMount 360: A New Era of Ophthalmic Surgical Training
News from our full member LV Prasad Eye Institute
Ophthalmology training runs through the wet lab, where surgeons practice on animal eyes before working their skill on a patient. As of today, most ophthalmic eye mounts in the market hold the globe fixed in one position, a mismatch to lived reality, as real surgery demands constant repositioning for better access to the eye. This mismatch limits wet-lab training in most ophthalmic institutions.
To close that gap, a young team from the Aravind Eye Hospital presented ‘EyeMount 360′ at the LVPEI-AIOS Innovation Day 2025. The national platform for early-stage eye care innovation received over 65 submissions across India, through which this dynamic eye-mounting system won the Industry Special Recognition Award and support to further develop the design. Here’s where the L V Prasad Eye Institute Center for Technology Innovation (CFTI) took over. In collaboration with Aravind Eye Hospital, the team at CFTI carried the concept through further prototyping, refinement, and validation, turning the clinical makeshift idea into a scalable, functional training device.
Source: Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University
Flying Eye & ENT Hospital completes two international missions in 2026
News from our full member Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University (Shanghai, China)
The Flying Eye & ENT Hospital of Fudan University continues to strengthen its international outreach through two successful missions completed in 2026. Following a mission to Laos in February, the hospital carried out its first outreach mission to Central Asia, providing specialized eye and ENT care in Kazakhstan in July.
During both missions, multidisciplinary teams delivered high-quality care to thousands of patients while working closely with local healthcare professionals to exchange knowledge and clinical expertise. These initiatives reflect the hospital’s continued commitment to improving access to specialized care, fostering international collaboration, and strengthening global partnerships in ophthalmology and ENT.
WAEH represented global network at IAPB-discussions in Brussels
Eye health is fundamental to Europe’s future (and isn’t it for Global Future?!). At the invitation of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), the WAEH joined last week in Brussels two high-level roundtables on the impact of eye health in education, healthy ageing, workforce participation, and resilient health systems. These roundtables are part of the Advocacy to Action: Europe 2026 series of the IAPB.
Representing the WAEH and its members from all over the world, Global Lead Maaike van Zuilen shared the perspective of eye hospitals, demonstrating how policy ambitions can be translated into better care through operational expertise, collaboration, and the experiences of leading eye hospitals worldwide.
2026
August
─
August 13
Wilmer Grand Rounds: Neuro-Ophthalmology
August 20
Wilmer Grand Rounds: Refractive Surgery
August 27
Wilmer Grand Rounds: Oculoplastics
Thursday, 27 August | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – FAIR images in Ophthalmology
September
─
September 1, and onwards
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Clinical electrophysiology of vision 2026
Friday, 4 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Joint ocular oncology and vitreo retinal symposium for nurses and ophthalmic health care professionals
Wednesday, 9 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Nd:YAG laser for posterior capsulotomy training for nurses and ophthalmic health care professionals
Friday, 11 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Lacrimal assessment for nursing & allied professionals study day
Saturday, 12 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Basic slit lamp and Goldmann Tonometry study day
14-16 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: New to Ophthalmology
Saturday, 19 September
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Biometry study day
Thursday, 24 September | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Human Resources
October
─
Thursday, 8 October | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Board Meeting
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
Thursday, 29 October | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel
November
─
9-16 November
20th Annual WAEH Meeting in Brazil
Please check out the event website and register yourself.
All CoP’s have their meeting during the Annual Meeting.
Tuesday, 10 November
WAEH Board Meeting – in person meeting in Brazil
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
December
─
Thursday, 3 December | 13.00 PM CET
WAEH Board Meeting
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
Thursday, 17 December | 13.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Innovation
2027
January
─
21-28 January
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Management Priorities in Eye Care Delivery for Heads of Eye Hospitals
Thursday, 28 January | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Finances
February
─
17 February – 2 March
Training by Aravind Eye Care System: Management Training for Eye Care Programme Managers
Thursday, 25 February | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Fundraising
March
─
Thursday, 25 March | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – FAIR Images in Ophthalmology
April
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Thursday, 29 April | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Human Resources
May
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Thursday, 27 May | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel
June
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Thursday, 24 June | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Innovation
July
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Thursday, 1 July | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Finances
August
─
Thursday, 26 August | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Fundraising
September
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Thursday, 30 September | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – FAIR images in Ophthalmology
October
─
Thursday, 28 October | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Human Resources
December
─
Thursday, 16 December | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel
2028
January
─
Thursday, 27 January | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Innovation
February
─
Thursday, 24 February | 01.00 PM CET
WAEH Community of Practice – Finances
Questions? Share news?
Do you have a special request? Would you like to organize a webinar or share news? Would you like to be (digitally) connected to a certain person in one of our member eye hospitals? Please feel very welcome to share your questions via the new Community Tool or contact Maaike van Zuilen: Maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org