WAEH welcomes its 2026 Project Cohort

July 21, 2026

The World Association of Eye Hospitals (WAEH) is proud to welcome a new cohort of international projects that will contribute to improving eye care around the world through collaboration, innovation and shared expertise.

Official Kick-off on 31 August

The WAEH Project Kick-off 2026 will take place on Monday, 31 August 2026, at 13:00 CEST. During this online event, project leads from across the globe will meet for the first time, get to know each other and receive practical guidance for the year ahead.

A special contribution will come from WAEH’s experienced international project management team:

Dhivya Ramasamy – Aravind Eye Care System, India
Syed Ali AW – Aravind Eye Care System, India
Catherine Mancuso – Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Australia

Together, they will share their extensive experience in leading international healthcare improvement projects and support the new project teams as they begin their WAEH journey.

Meet the 2026 Projects

The 2026 cohort brings together experts from WAEH member hospitals to work on practical initiatives that will strengthen ophthalmic care worldwide.

2026 Project Portfolio

Development of a Practical Glaucoma Grading System
- Project Leads:
  - Jia Ng and David Steel from South Tyneside and Sunderland NHS Foundation Trust, United Kingdom
Development and Evaluation of a Nurse-Led Ophthalmic Emergency Triage Protocol
- Project Lead:
  - Nicolas Miklaszewski from Hôpital National des 15-20, France
Visions App: Multilingual Expansion Platform
- Project Leads:
  - Muriel Faienza and Alyssia Lohner from Hôpital ophtalmique Jules-Gonin, Switzerland
Establishment of WAEH Dashboard
- Project Leads:
  - Mohamed Fathy and Mohammed AlShaban from King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Saudi Arabia
  - BS Ganesh Babu from Aravind Eye Hospital, India, Denisse Contreras from Clínica Oftalmológica Pasteur, Chile
  - Dhoha Mohammed Ali Alhamad and Al Yousef Mead Yagoub from Dhahran Eye Specialist Hospital, Saudi Arabia
  - Victoria Moore, Adam Backhouse and Andrew Tyler from Moorfields Eye Hospital, United Kingdom

Follow the journey

Over the coming year, WAEH will regularly share updates on the progress of the 2026 projects. Members can expect news about important milestones, lessons learned and project outcomes as these international collaborations develop.

Looking back at the 2025 Project Cohort

While the 2026 projects are just getting started, the 2025 cohort is entering its final phase. These project teams will present their achievements and key outcomes during the 20th WAEH Annual Meeting in São Paulo, Brazil, providing members with valuable insights and practical recommendations for eye hospitals worldwide.

2025 Project Portfolio

Anaesthetic Modalities, Cost and Patient-reported Intraoperative Pain in Ophthalmic Surgery
- Project Leads:
  - Alan Kastner, Santiago Venegas and Rodrigo Garcia from Clínica Oftalmológica Pasteur, Chile
Developing Guidelines for Nursing and Allied Healthcare Staff to Assist Visually Impaired Patients
- Project Leads:
  - Enas AlAmri, Deepak Edward and Trevor Wyngaard from King Khaled Eye Specialist Hospital & Research Centre, Saudi Arabia
Cataract Calendar Project
- Project Leads:
  - Pranesh Balasubramaniam and Pei-Fen Lin from Moorfields Eye Hospital, United Kingdom
Advanced Practice Orthoptists: Co-management and Care Plan Facilitation
- Project Leads:
  - Catherine Mancuso and Tracy Siggins from Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital, Australia

Looking ahead: Project proposals for 2027

Do you have an innovative idea that could benefit eye hospitals around the world? The next opportunity is already approaching. The deadline for submitting new WAEH project proposals is the end of January, after which a new selection process will begin.

WAEH looks forward to another year of international collaboration, shared learning and meaningful impact through its global project programme.

More information about all WAEH projects, the project proposal format for 2027 and updates can be found on the WAEH Projects page.

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