Newsletter WAEH | November 2026
Present a poster during the 20th Annual Meeting!
As we look forward to the 20th Annual WAEH Meeting, we’re excited to share that the first few posters for this year’s meeting have already been submitted!
Are you joining us for the Annual Meeting? Don’t forget to bring a poster showcasing the innovative projects and inspiring work happening at your eye hospital! It’s a great opportunity to share your achievements, exchange ideas with fellow attendees, and contribute to knowledge and innovation across our international eye hospital community.
The submission deadline is 30 October, so don’t miss your chance to share your work!
We can’t wait to see the amazing work and creative ideas you’ll bring to the WAEH community!
🎉The 20th Annual WAEH Meeting is just around the corner!
From 9–16 November 2026, we will celebrate our Jubilee Year in São Paulo and Londrina, Brazil, and Santiago, Chile. Eye hospital professionals from around the world will come together for a week of knowledge exchange, inspiring discussions and opportunities to strengthen international collaboration.
The programme will explore key developments shaping the future of eye care, from AI and digitalisation to eye hospital management, quality of care and patient experience. Participants can also look forward to poster presentations, on-site Communities of Practice, a 3D live surgery experience and visits to eye hospitalsin Brazil and Chile.
As we celebrate 20 years of WAEH meetings, we look forward to bringing our international community together once again to share experiences, learn from one another and explore new opportunities for collaboration.
Explore the programme and discover what to expect from this edition here.
Meet this year’s hosts
We are very happy to have such wonderful hosts welcoming us this year. The meeting is hosted by three leading eye care organisations: Instituto Suel Abujamrain São Paulo and Hoftalon Eye Hospital in Londrina, Brazil, and Clínica Oftalmológica Pasteur in Santiago, Chile.
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
WAEH Consultation Meeting
Would you like to run through the programme or have questions about the meeting, your presentation, or the WAEH?
Join our upcoming online WAEH Consultation Meeting:
- Tuesday, 27 October – 13:00 CEST
Join the consultation meeting via Zoom
Register for the in person meeting
Deadline 31 October 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.
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
WAEH welcomes five new members to its global network
The World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH) is delighted to welcome five new organisations from Brazil, Peru and Uganda to its growing international network.
These additions reflect the diversity of eye care institutions worldwide and our shared commitment to improving ophthalmic care through collaboration, knowledge exchange and mutual learning.
Three New Members from Brazil:
- Instituto Paulista de Ensino e Pesquisa em Oftalmologia – Associate Member
Led by President Professor Rubens Belfort Junior, this non-profit philanthropic institution is dedicated to ophthalmology, education and research. Its membership brings valuable academic and scientific expertise to the WAEH network. - Vision One – Full Member
Vision One is one of Brazil’s leading private eye hospital networks, bringing together more than 1,200 doctors. With its extensive network and experience in delivering ophthalmic services, Vision One represents an important addition to the WAEH community. - UNIFESP – Full Member
UNIFESP joins WAEH as a major public academic eye hospital in Brazil. Its combination of clinical care, education and research will contribute valuable perspectives to the international exchange of expertise within WAEH.
A New Associate Member from Peru:
- Oftálmica Clínica de la Visión – Associate Member
We are pleased to welcome Oftálmica Clínica de la Visión from Peru as an Associate Member. Its membership further strengthens WAEH’s presence in Latin America and creates new opportunities for international collaboration and knowledge sharing.
Supporting Eye Care Development in Uganda:
- Christian Rural Eye Sight Promotion – Mentored Eye Hospital (2026–2027)
WAEH is also pleased to welcome Christian Rural Eye Sight Promotion from Uganda into its mentorship programme.
As a small eye care clinic with ambitions to develop further, the organisation will receive mentorship during 2026 and 2027, with the aim of progressing towards Associate Membership in 2028.
This collaboration reflects an important aspect of WAEH’s mission: not only connecting established centres of excellence, but also supporting emerging eye care institutions in strengthening their services and developing their potential.
Growing Together, Learning from Each Other
With these five additions, WAEH continues to strengthen its global network, bringing together institutions of different sizes, backgrounds and healthcare systems.
From large private hospital networks and academic institutions to smaller clinics seeking mentorship, each organisation brings its own experience, perspectives and opportunities for learning.
We warmly welcome all five organisations to the WAEH community and look forward to working together to advance eye care worldwide.
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 started:
- 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
Are you interested to be part of these projects? Contact Maaike van Zuilen.
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
Nurses and Allied Health Personnel|
29 October 2026
On October 29, the Nurses and Allied Health Personnel Community of Practice will meet again! This time the development of a nurse-led corneal cross-linking (CXL) treatment programme and the international collaboration between the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin, Ireland) and Sunshine Coast Health (Birtinya, Australia) will be discussed.
This group is led by Tendai Gwenhure, Senior Clinical Educator from Moorfields Eye Hospital (London, United Kingdom) and Diana Malata, Advanced Nurse from Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital (Dublin, Ireland).
In addition to co-moderating the session, Diana Malata will present her work on the development and implementation of the corneal cross-linking (CXL) treatment programme at the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, highlighting what other eye hospitals can learn from this experience.
Noel Binza, Cross-Linking Specialist Nurse at King’s College Hospital (London, United Kingdom), will also deliver a presentation, sharing insights into the corneal cross-linking (CXL) treatment programme at Moorfields Eye Hospital and King’s College Hospital and his expertise in cross-organisational collaboration.
🗓️ Thursday, October 29 2026
🕐 01:00 PM CET
💻 Online (Zoom)
Are you interested in participating in this Community of Practice? Register now!👇🏼
WAEH Community of Practice
Human Resources|
24 September 2026
On Thursday 24 September 2026, the WAEH held its Community of Practice on Human Resources. For this session, the CoP has been led led by, Jos Hubers, former HR Manager at the Rotterdam Eye Hospital (Rotterdam, The Netherlands), who took over from our current CoP lead, Sue Steen, Chief People Officer at Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust (London, United Kingdom). G. Krishnaveni (Veni), Administrator at the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology (Madurai, India), shared Aravind’s experiences with their Well-Being Program. The session was moderated by Maaike van Zuilen, Global Lead of WAEH, and brought together eye hospital professionals from ten countries: the United Kingdom, Sweden, Singapore, Rwanda, India, The Netherlands, Chile, Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, USA.
During the Community of Practice, Veni and the Aravind Eye Care System team presented their approach to employee well-being, covering health, family support, mental well-being, recognition, recreation and professional development. Aravind aims to integrate employee welfare into its operational systems, while recognizing the potential stress and burnout associated with a demanding healthcare environment.
The presentation highlighted practical initiatives including annual health checks, childcare, family programmes, employee retreats, counselling and the “My Life My Pride” programme, which combines personal counselling, life skills, values education and extracurricular activities. Aravind also uses cultural activities and employee recognition to strengthen connection and appreciation across the organization.
The discussion focused on supporting younger employees, expanding mental health support beyond AOPs, and balancing employee health, confidentiality and employer responsibility. Aravind is also working to standardize well-being initiatives across its centres through clearer policies, employee surveys, monitoring, measurement and follow-up.
The Community of Practice – Human Resources will come together again during the 20th Annual Meeting in Brazil: Friday November 13 and then in 2027 on Thursday April 29 at 01.00 PM CEST.
Want to know more about Human Resources and the discussions within the Community?
Read the full report and watch the recording via the WAEH Community👇🏼
WAEH Community of Practice
Human Resources|
24 September 2026
WAEH Community of Practice
Leaders Meeting |
7 December 2026
The annual CoP Leaders Meeting will reflect on key learnings and plan topics and activities for 2027.
WAEH Community of Practice
Innovation |
17 December 2026
WAEH welcomes five new members to its global network
WAEH is delighted to welcome five new organisations to its growing international network.
New Associate WAEH Member: Oftálmica Clínica de la Visión
WAEH warmly congratulates Oftálmica Clínica de la Visión with their associate membership
WAEH Endorses the St. John’s Global Compact for Eye Health
WAEH is proud to endorse the St. John’s Global Compact for Eye Health
WAEH Endorses the Equity in Sight Statement of Commitment
WAEH is pleased to support the Equity in Sight Statement of Commitment
GLP-1 Medications and Eye Health: What You Need to Know
News from our full member Moorfields Eye Hospital
CM Chandrababu Naidu Breaks Ground for LVPEI’s Amaravati Campus
News from our full member LV Prasad Eye Institute
WAEH Executive Board Chair Dr. Christine Nelson Honored at AAO 2026
News from our full member Kellogg Eye Center
LVPEI Monthly Note:
Organ Donation|
September 2026
News from our full member LV Prasad Eye Institute
2026
October
─
Saturday, 24 October
The Wilmer Eye Institute’s 28th Annual Technician Course
Saturday, 24 October
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Ophthalmic emergency study day
Thursday, 29 October | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel
Thursday, 29 October | 07.30 AM EDT (UTC-4)
Grand Rounds by Wilmer Eye Institute: Glaucoma
November
─
Thursday, 5 November | 07.30 AM EDT (UTC-5)
Grand Rounds by Wilmer Eye Institute: Uveitis
Friday, 6 November
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Paediatric eye emergencies for the non-paediatric ophthalmologist
Friday, 6 November
Wills Eye Hospital – Calhoun Pediatric Ophthalmology Forum
Saturday, 7 November
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Basic slit lamp and Goldmann tonometry study day
9 – 16 November
20th Annual WAEH Meeting in Brazil and Chile
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
10 – 11 November
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Fundoscopy training programme
Friday, 13 November
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Moorfields Manual Small Incision Cataract Surgery (MSICS)
Friday, 20 November
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Non-medical intravitreal injection course
26 – 27 November
St. Erik Eye Hospital – Glaucoma Insights course
Friday, 27 November
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Oculoplastic nursing and allied professionals study day
December
─
Thursday, 3 December | 13.00 PM CET
WAEH Board Meeting
Want to share ideas with the board? Please share: maaike.vanzuilen@waeh.org
Friday, 11 December
Workshop by Moorfields Education: Hypotony: Diagnosis and management: From theory to practice
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
Saturday, 30 January
Moorfields MAVERICK 2027: Advanced Vitreoretinal Congress
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
─
Thursday, 29 April | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Human Resources
May
─
Thursday, 27 May | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Nurses and Allied Health Personnel
June
─
Thursday, 24 June | 01.00 PM CEST
WAEH Community of Practice – Innovation
July
─
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
─
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