June 5th agenda

07:30 - 08:30
Breakfast Meeting
CBM: Partnering for Scale

The meeting will share the Sightsavers and CBM experience of a partnership model that provides a single entry point for partners, governments, and donors to access high-quality technical assistance and large-scale implementation. The session will feature interactive dialogue with CEOs Dr. Caroline Harper and Dr. Rainer Brockhaus, who will demonstrate how this partnership leverages combined expertise and decades of collaboration to protect sight and transform national systems, especially as the shifting global environment demands efficiency and the ability to deliver solutions at scale.

Room: Breakout 4 - Mt Elgon 2 & 3

09:00 - 10:30
Welcome to 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE Kenya

Opening Ceremony featuring representative from Government of Kenya

Join us for a powerful start to 2030 IN SIGHT LIVE, Kenya, in the opening ceremony as we welcome senior government leaders from Kenya, policymakers, innovators, and visionaries united by a shared vision for universal eye health. This landmark moment will set the stage for action, collaboration, and impact ahead of the first Global Summit for Eye health.

Room: Mt Kilimanjaro

10:45 - 11:15

Networking, Break for Tea

11:15 - 12:30
Accelerating Action: Bloomberg Philanthropies Vision Initiative

This session will introduce Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Vision Initiative and its approach to strengthening eye health systems globally. It will highlight key lessons from scaling eye care and share insights on newly enhanced data resources that will support decision-making across the sector.

This session will aim to:

  • Introduce and explain Bloomberg Philanthropies business and Vision Initiative to the broader eye health sector.
  • Share some of the lessons learnt to date from the initiative in scaling eye care.
  • Provide an update/insight into the new & improved data that will be made available from the Initiative.

Room: Mt Kilimanjaro 2 & 3

Moderator

  • Oli Barrett
    Oli Barrett

    Creator of the Build A Better Network Course and Co-founder of Children’s Literacy Campaign TOTS

Speakers

  • Adrienne Pizatella
    Adrienne Pizatella

    Adrienne Pizatella is on the Public Health team at Bloomberg Philanthropies. She supports the Tobacco Control Initiative, the Data for Health Initiative and is newly supporting the Vision Initiative - a two-year commitment to address vision needs globally.

  • Megan Collins
    Megan Collins

    Megan Collins, MD, MPH, is the Allen and Claire Jensen Professor of Ophthalmology at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine Wilmer Eye Institute.

  • Stuart Keel
    Stuart Keel

    Dr Stuart Keel leads the work on Vision and Eye Care in the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva.

  • Jude Stern
    Jude Stern

    Jude leads the IAPB knowledge agenda and team. Highlights from recent work include co-authoring The Value of Vision: the Case for Investing in Eye Health, the increase of use of the transformed Vision Atlas, the programme for IN SIGHT LIVE events, the Young Systems Leaders programme and the re-energised member engagement groups.

  • Charles Mugendi Opiyo
    Charles Mugendi Opiyo

    Charles Mugendi is a Programme Manager at Sightsavers, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He brings two decades of experience across international NGOs and private sector collaborations, with a strong focus on advancing universal eye health at scale.

  • Kelly Larson
    Kelly Larson

    Kelly Larson has over 30 years of experience managing local, national, and international public health programs. She currently directs Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Road safety, Drowning Prevention, Partnership for Healthy Cities and Vision programs, while also providing technical support to partners and grantees in the tobacco control initiative.

  • Dhivya Ramasamy
    Dhivya Ramasamy

    Dhivya Ramasamy is the Executive Director at LAICO, the training and consulting arm of Aravind Eye Care System, based in Madurai, India. She has experience in healthcare management and training within the eye care sector, working on consultancy projects with hospitals in India, Bangladesh, and Zambia.

Masterclass: Mobilising Commitment for Eye Health

How can organisations turn ambition into credible, actionable commitments that advance the global eye health agenda?

Commitments from governments, civil society, and the private sector will be one of the most important elements of the Global Summit for Eye Health. This interactive workshop supports actors across the eye health sector to position their work within the context of the Global Summit and our shared goals. Through practical guidance and sector-based discussion, participants will develop concrete commitment ideas, test how to communicate them clearly and credibly, and explore opportunities for coordination and collaboration.

Key discussion elements

  • Translating ambition into visible, time-bound commitments
  • Positioning commitments for the Global Summit for Eye Health
  • Strengthening alignment with shared sector goals
  • Identifying opportunities for coordination and collaboration across the sector

Room: Mount Kenya 1 and 2

Moderator

  • Junu Shrestha
    Junu Shrestha

    Junu Shrestha is Senior Policy and Advocacy Manager at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), where she leads global policy and advocacy engagement to advance eye health within global health and development agendas.

Speakers

  • Amanda Davis
    Amanda Davis

    Amanda Davis has been working in the area of blindness prevention and public health since 2006. Her experience spans advocacy, education, research, infrastructure development and funding; developing and managing relationships

  • Geoffrey Wabulembo
    Geoffrey Wabulembo

    Senior ophthalmologist and global health leader with extensive experience in clinical care, leadership in ophthalmology faculty positions, and multi-country health programs.

  • Sarah Khor
    Sarah Khor

    Sarah Khor specializes in international alliance development, advocacy, and government affairs in the healthcare and pharmaceutical sector.

  • Rohit Khanna
    Rohit Khanna

    Dr. Rohit C Khanna is the Network Director for the Public Health Unit of L V Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI) – The Gullapalli Pratibha Rao International Centre for Advancement of Rural Eye Care.

  • Valeria Sánchez Huerta
    Valeria Sánchez Huerta

    As a Mexican ophthalmologist and CEO of the Asociación Para Evitar la Ceguera en México (APEC), Valeria is deeply committed to advancing eye health across Mexico and Latin America.

  • Joyce Koech
    Joyce Koech

    Joyce Koech is the Global Lead for Inclusive Health Programmes at CBM, where she directs programme strategy across eye health, ear and hearing care, and physical rehabilitation portfolios in more than 30 countries.

Integrating Eye Health into UHC and Service Delivery Models: From Vision to Reality

How do countries move from recognising the importance of eye health to embedding it within national health systems?

As governments pursue Universal Health Coverage to advance equity, productivity, and learning, preventing sight loss must become part of routine service delivery, not a stand-alone intervention. This applied systems discussion will explore how countries are integrating eye care into primary health care and UHC delivery models. Through real-world case examples, delegates will examine practical pathways for integration, from workforce optimisation and procurement readiness to embedding eye care within schools, child health programmes, and other service platforms.

Key discussion elements

  • Integrating eye health into primary health care and UHC delivery models
  • Learning from country examples of national health system integration
  • Strengthening workforce optimisation and procurement readiness - Embedding eye care within schools, child health programmes, and wider service platforms

 

Room: Mount Kilimanjaro 1

Moderator

  • Aaron Magava
    Aaron Magava

    Dr Aaron Thembinkosi Magava is a Zimbabwean Qphthalmologist and Public Eye Health Specialist with extensive experience in clinical care, health systems strengthening, and regional policy development.

Speakers

  • Henry Ebong Nkumbe
    Henry Ebong Nkumbe

    Dr. Henry Ebong Nkumbe is a vitreo-retinal surgeon and healthcare executive, serving as CEO and Medical Director of the Magrabi ICO Cameroon Eye Institute (MICEI) in Yaoundé, one of Central Africa’s leading centres for subspecialty eye care.

  • Priya Morjaria
    Priya Morjaria

    Priya is the Head of Global Programme Development at Peek Vision, working across partnerships, programmes and product to apply her clinical and public health expertise.

  • Dechen Wangmo
    Dechen Wangmo

    Professor & Head of Ophthalmology, Jigme Dorji Wangchuck National Referral Hospital (JDWNRH) / Khesar Gyalpo University of Medical Sciences, Bhutan.

  • Fatima Kyari
    Fatima Kyari

    Prof. Fatima Kyari is the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), where she provides strategic leadership for the regulation of medical and dental practice, professional conduct, and training standards nationwide.

2030 In Sight Action Cafe: Rapid Fire Presentations Session 1

What is working now across policy, financing and service delivery?

Session 1 of the Rapid Fire sessions with curated presentations from the call for submissions.

  1. Root Cause Analysis of Common Adverse Events in Eye Care to Improve Patient Safety and Quality of Services
  2. Barriers to Eye Care Service Utilization by Visually Impaired People and the Impact of War in Conflict-Affected Tigray region, Ethiopia
  3. Advancing Data-Driven Global Ophthalmology Through Research: Integrating Science into Service
  4. Integrating Eye Health into Nigeria’s National Health Management Information System: From Programme-based Reporting to Centralised Reporting on DHIS2.
  5. Making Unmet Eye Health Need Visible: Using Harmonised Multi-Partner Data to Track Needs and Coverage of Eye Health services in Kenya
  6. Magnitude of Ocular Morbidity and Eye Health Service Need in Central Sidama Zone, Ethiopia: Findings from an All-Age Population Eye Health Survey
  7. Implementation of a Digital Presbyopia Lens Power Calculator in Community Eye Health Programmes: Analysis of the First 10,000 Prescriptions
  8. From Screening to Sight: Accelerating Cataract surgery Access and CQI through Rwanda’s National Digital Eye Tracker system


Room: Mt Elgon 2 & 3

Chairs

  • Andreas Mueller
    Andreas Mueller

    Andreas has a background in ophthalmic research and epidemiology, holding a Ph.D in Vision Sciences (UK) and a Master of Public Health (NZ). For the past 30 years, he has worked in various eye care sectors, including academia, private sector, nongovernment sector, and the UN system.

  • Tuwani Rasengane
    Tuwani Rasengane

    Tuwani Rasengane is Head of Optometry at the University of the Free State and Director of Optometric Service, Universitas Academic Hospital. She serves as Co Chair of the WHO SPECS2030 Workforce workstream and is the current interim African region representative for the Global Optometry Public Health Alliance (GOPHA).

Presenters

  • Adedoyin Haastrup
    Adedoyin Haastrup

    Adedoyin Haastrup is a public health specialist and Monitoring & Evaluation expert with extensive experience in strengthening health systems in Nigeria.

  • Hillary Rono
    Hillary Rono

    Dr. Hillary Rono is an ophthalmologist and researcher serving as the Eye Coordinator for Trans Nzoia County, Kenya. With over 20 years of experience, Dr. Rono is a pioneer in delivering eye care to remote, underserved regions and a key leader in the global mission to eliminate avoidable blindness.

  • Marzieh Katibeh
    Marzieh Katibeh

    Dr Marzieh Katibeh is a medical doctor and global eye health researcher. She completed her PhD at Aarhus University and currently works with Peek Vision and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

  • Abeba Tesfay Gessesse
    Abeba Tesfay Gessesse

    Dr. Abeba Tesfay is an Ophthalmologist and current Pediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus Fellow at Dr. Shroff’s Charity Eye Hospital in New Delhi. She earned her Medical Degree from Mekelle University in 2016 and completed her specialty certification in Ophthalmology at Addis Ababa University in 2021.

  • Theoneste Mutsindashyaka
    Theoneste Mutsindashyaka

    Theoneste is a public health specialist with huge experience in health systems strengthening, with particular expertise in data systems, maternal and child health, and eye health program implementation. He holds a Master of Public Health and a Bachelor’s degree in Community Health.

  • Chundak Tenzing
    Chundak Tenzing

    Dr. Chundak Tenzing, MD, DO, MBBS, MPH, is the Worldwide Medical Director at Seva Foundation. He has worked with Seva and its partners for almost three decades, overseeing programs worldwide and advocating high-quality care. He is passionate about providing eye care to people living in places where it is nonexistent. He has worked with partner eye hospitals, mainly in Nepal, India, China, Cambodia, and Myanmar.  

  • Pamela Clapp
    Pamela Clapp

    Pamela Clapp, Associate Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, joined the Cure Blindness Project in 2010, developing collaborative relationships with implementing partners to design, implement, and evaluate programs in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Pamela played a key role in partner expansion in Ghana and Ethiopia and strengthening capacity of ophthalmology training programs.

  • Esmael Habtamu Ali
    Esmael Habtamu Ali

    Esmael Habtamu is a public eye health academic and clinical trialist with research interests in trachoma elimination and primary eye care. He is an Assistant Professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), UK; Co-Founder and Executive Director of Eyu-Ethiopia; and an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Bahir Dar University, Ethiopia.

12:30 - 13:45

Networking, Break for Lunch

13:00 - 13:30
Vision Atlas in action: what's new and what's next 

Join this informal drop-in session to explore the latest updates to Vision Atlas, ask questions, and share your feedback with the team. 

Room: Mt Kenya 1 and 2 

13:45 - 15:00
Financing for Eye Health: Maximising Public, Private and Philanthropic Investment

How can countries unlock and align public budgets, private capital, and philanthropic funding to accelerate progress in eye health?

With momentum building toward the first Global Summit for Eye Health, this session will explore how to mobilise financing, forge new partnership models, move from short-term pilots to sustainable system transformation, and ensure inclusive approaches. Bringing together public, private, and philanthropic leaders, and drawing on real-world country experience, the session will examine how diversified financing can move eye health from project-based funding to sustained national investment.

Key discussion elements

  • Mobilising public, private, and philanthropic financing
  • Forging partnership models that reduce risk and expand scale
  • Moving from pilots to sustainable system transformation
  • Learning from country experience on diversified financing


Room: Mt Kilimanjaro 2 & 3

Moderator

  • Oli Barrett
    Oli Barrett

    Creator of the Build A Better Network Course and Co-founder of Children’s Literacy Campaign TOTS

Speakers

  • David Munyendo
    David Munyendo

    David Munyendo is the Kenya Country Director and Chief Executive Officer of CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission Christian Blind Mission e.V - Kenya, a leading disability inclusive development.

  • Andrew Bastawrous
    Andrew Bastawrous

    Andrew is an Ophthalmologist (Eye Surgeon), Professor in Global Eye Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, Co-Founder & CEO of Peek Vision and Co-Founder of the Vision Catalyst Fund.

  • Anthony Gitau
    Anthony Gitau

    Anthony Gitau is a Graduate of Egerton University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Biochemistry. He is the Director Global Program Delivery and Impact, Africa and Middle East, Global Health Equity at Johnson and Johnson

  • Amos Bonna
    Amos Bonna

    Amos is responsible for driving the business growth, development, partnerships and digital transformation at Opportunity Bank Uganda Limited with over 20 years’ experience in Banking especially Micro Finance in Credit management, Business development, Sales and Marketing in both the micro and commercial banking.

  • Ross Piper
    Ross Piper

    Ross Piper is the Chief Executive Officer of the Fred Hollows Foundation. In this role he provides global leadership for the Foundation, which has operations in over 25 countries, a global board and entity boards in the USA, UK, Hong Kong and Kenya.

Masterclass: Implementation for Scale: Methods That Support Adaptation and Momentum

How do eye health programmes expand reach without losing quality, momentum, or system fit?

This masterclass explores the practical choices that shape implementation at scale in eye health. Through short case reflections and table work, participants will apply a simple scale-up lens to a real delivery challenge, testing what they are trying to grow, what is constraining progress, what must stay strong, what may need to adapt, and how to recognise whether scale-up is working in practice.

Key discussion elements

  • Applying a scale-up lens to a real eye health delivery challenge
  • Identifying bottlenecks that affect implementation at scale
  • Exploring what must stay strong and what may need to adapt in context
  • Recognising the signals that show whether scale-up is working in practice

 

Room: Mount Kenya 1 and 2

Moderator

  • Brenda Mareri
    Brenda Mareri

    Brenda Mareri is a Systems Change Practitioner, Engagement Curator and moderator with 14+ years of cross-sectoral experience in regional food and nutrition development and sustainable development.

Speaker

  • Kelly Larson
    Kelly Larson

    Kelly Larson has over 30 years of experience managing local, national, and international public health programs. She currently directs Bloomberg Philanthropies’ Road safety, Drowning Prevention, Partnership for Healthy Cities and Vision programs, while also providing technical support to partners and grantees in the tobacco control initiative.

Discussion Leads

  • Beatrice Varga
    Beatrice Varga

    Beatrice Varga is Senior Director, US Programs and Partnerships at The Fred Hollows Foundation, bringing over 17 years of experience across academia, INGOs, and the private sector.

  • Charles Mugendi Opiyo
    Charles Mugendi Opiyo

    Charles Mugendi is a Programme Manager at Sightsavers, based in Nairobi, Kenya. He brings two decades of experience across international NGOs and private sector collaborations, with a strong focus on advancing universal eye health at scale.

  • Stella Jane
    Stella Jane

    Stella Jane serves as RestoringVision’s Senior Program Manager, Africa, leading the organization’s programs and partnerships across Sub-Saharan Africa. Based in Nairobi, she oversees the design, delivery, and evaluation of initiatives that expand access to vision services and near-vision eyeglasses.

  • Alemayhu Sisay
    Alemayhu Sisay

    Alemayehu Sisay is a senior ophthalmologist and public health leader serving as Country Director of Orbis International in Ethiopia, where he provides strategic leadership for one of the largest comprehensive eye care and trachoma elimination programs globally.

  • Anne Coolen
    Anne Coolen

    Anne Coolen is a seasoned public health leader, systems architect, and Chief Impact Officer at VisionSpring, a global social enterprise on a mission to bring affordable, quality eyeglasses to the 1.1 billion people who need them but cannot access them.

Honest Conversations on the Human Capital: Equity, Efficiency and the Future of Care

How do we build an eye health workforce that is fit for the future, not just stretched to meet today’s demand?

This session looks beyond workforce shortages to explore how countries can design, deploy, and support the people needed to deliver equitable, efficient, and sustainable eye care. It will examine the choices leaders face across service models, skill mix, task sharing, technology, and long-term system capacity.

Key discussion elements

  • Clarifying the real workforce challenge facing eye health systems
  • Surfacing the trade-offs between access, quality, efficiency, and scale
  • Highlighting priorities for workforce design, deployment, and support
  • Exploring what it will take to build a future-ready workforce by 2030

Room: Mount Kilimanjaro 1

Moderator

  • Jissa James
    Jissa James

    Jissa James connects knowledge, people, and strategy to drive impact in global eye health. She is passionate about shaping spaces where professionals and organisations can share evidence, build capability, and drive collective action towards eye health for all.

Speakers

  • Simon Arunga
    Simon Arunga

    Dr. Simon Arunga is the president of the college of Ophthalmology for Eastern, Central and Southern Africa. He trained as an ophthalmologist in Uganda in 2014 and earned his PhD from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, UK.

  • May Ho
    May Ho

    Dr May Ho is an Australian registered optometrist working in public health and international eye health. She graduated from optometry at the University of Melbourne, where she also gained her PhD. May is in the Medical Team at the Fred Hollows Foundation as Optometry and Primary Care Adviser. She is based in Melbourne, Australia.

  • Kovin Naidoo
    Kovin Naidoo

    Kovin Naidoo is the Global Head of Advocacy and Partnerships at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation and the former CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute. He is an optometrist, academic, former anti-apartheid activist and political prisoner and an internationally celebrated public health leader.

  • Dhivya Ramasamy
    Dhivya Ramasamy

    Dhivya Ramasamy is the Executive Director at LAICO, the training and consulting arm of Aravind Eye Care System, based in Madurai, India. She has experience in healthcare management and training within the eye care sector, working on consultancy projects with hospitals in India, Bangladesh, and Zambia.

  • Babar Qureshi
    Babar Qureshi

    Muhammad Babar Qureshi, originally from Pakistan, has dedicated his career to improving the quality of life for those affected by vision impairment and blindness worldwide.

Discussion Leads

  • Rutul Shah
    Rutul Shah

    Rutul Shah is a Manager – Training and Quality at Mission for Vision, where she leads Mission Saksham, a national initiative focused on strengthening the eyecare workforce in India by training Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOPs).

  • Cynthia Gape
    Cynthia Gape

    Cynthia Gape is a Software Trainer and Design Lead at Peek Vision, focused on developing innovative training strategies that strengthen partner capacity and expand access to quality eye health services.

  • Adnan Abdul Majeed
    Adnan Abdul Majeed

    Dr. Adnan Abdul Majeed, FCPS (Pakistan), MRCS (Glasgow, UK), FRCS (Glasgow, UK), is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Academic Coordinator at the Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences (SIOVS).

  • Ameer Abou Adela
    Ameer Abou Adela

    Ameer Abou Adela is an optometrist with ten years of experience in public eye health, optometry education, and professional advocacy. He holds a BS in Optics & Optometry from the American University of Science and Technology, an MBA from Sagesse University, and PhDc in Optometry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.

2030 In Sight Action Cafe: Rapid Fire Presentations Session 2

What is working now across policy, financing and service delivery? Session 2 of the Rapid Fire sessions with curated presentations from the call for submissions.

  1. Integrating Teleophthalmology into Community-Based Eye Care For Remote And Underserved Settings
  2. Reaching the Last Mile for TT Clearance: Equity Lessons from Oromia, Ethiopia
  3. Integrating Retinal Screening Into Chronic Disease Platforms Through Teleophthalmology And Cross Sector Partnerships
  4. Delivery Models of Diabetic Retinopathy Services in Low- and Middle-Income Countries: Implications for 2030 In Sight
  5. Impact of Integrated Refractive Error/Cataract Programs on Surgical Outcomes
  6. Strengthening Cataract Outcomes through Structured Multi-Point Postoperative Follow-Up
  7. Beyond the Blur: Nigeria’s Blueprint for Addressing Near Vision Needs at Scale
  8. Breaking Barriers to Refractive Care: A Multi-Sectoral Approach to Advancing Equity and Access in Pakistan

 

Room: Mt Elgon 2 & 3

Chairs

  • Reshma Dabideen
    Reshma Dabideen

    Senior global health and development consultant with over 25 years of leadership and advisory experience across Sub-Saharan Africa, MENA and international contexts.

  • Graeme Mackenzie
    Graeme Mackenzie

    Graeme MacKenzie is Director of Riemann Ltd, an ophthalmic research consultancy, through which he works with the Chen Yet-Sen Family Foundation to lead its portfolio of ophthalmic research.

Presenters

  • Caio Abujamra
    Caio Abujamra

    Caio Abujamra is the President of the Suel Abujamra Institute and Co-CEO of the Juntos pela Visão alliance. He assumed leadership of the Institute in 2018, transforming it into the largest provider of ophthalmic services within Brazil’s public health system (SUS).

  • Damilola Oyedele
    Damilola Oyedele

    Damilola Oyedele works with the Clinton Health Access Initiative, supporting efforts to expand access to affordable vision care through primary health care systems.

  • Leena Ahmed
    Leena Ahmed

    A social development professional with more than 18 years’ experience in programme development and management. Currently leading the programme team of Sightsavers Pakistan Country Office.

  • Melesse Akalu
    Melesse Akalu

    A social development professional with more than 18 years’ experience in programme development and management. Currently leading the programme team of Sightsavers Pakistan Country Office.

  • Shaffi Mdala
    Shaffi Mdala

    Shaffi Mdala is a Malawian ophthalmologist, Honorary Lecturer in Ophthalmology at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, and President of the Ophthalmological Society of Malawi.

  • Yesunesan
    Yesunesan

    Started my eye-care career in 2014 in the Consultancy Division of the Lions Aravind Institute of Community Ophthalmology. I have worked with eye hospitals in India, Bangladesh, Nepal, Rwanda, Kenya, and Tanzania in various capacity-building initiatives.

  • Karen Garduno
    Karen Garduno

    Karen Garduno is a Business Development professional with 15+ years of international experience driving market expansion and strategic partnerships across APAC and LatAm.

  • Jackson Smith
    Jackson Smith

    Jackson T. Smith, is a public health practitioner, health systems strategist, and social entrepreneur serving as Country Director of Good Vision Liberia. He leads efforts to expand access to high-quality, affordable eye care services, particularly for underserved communities.

15:00 - 15:15

Networking, Break for Tea

15:15 - 16:30
Investing in Leadership: Strengthening System Capability

What kind of leadership investment enables sustainable system change?

This session places Young Systems Leaders at the centre of a live conversation on what it takes to build leadership that can shape the future of eye health. Through linked questions on capability, authority, and the conditions for success, it explores whether the sector is doing enough to identify emerging leaders, equip them, trust them, and enable them to deliver change in practice.

Key discussion elements

  • Identifying the capabilities most needed in today’s changing eye health landscape
  • Exploring what needs to shift for emerging leaders to move from being heard to holding real authority
  • Understanding the conditions that enable emerging leaders to succeed, adapt, and sustain change
  • Treating leadership as a strategic investment in system change

 

Room: Mt Kilimanjaro 2 & 3

Moderators

  • Caroline Casey
    Caroline Casey

    Caroline Casey is the businesswoman and activist behind The Valuable 500, the world’s largest CEO collective and business move for disability inclusion.

  • Oli Barrett
    Oli Barrett

    Creator of the Build A Better Network Course and Co-founder of Children’s Literacy Campaign TOTS

Speakers

  • Adebowale Alfred Adekunle
    Adebowale Alfred Adekunle

    Adebowale Alfred Adekunle (AAA) doesn't just work with data, he translates it into stories that move people to act. As the current Global Data and Reporting Lead at VisionSpring, he works across a diverse and rich cultural environment to design and manage the performance systems that support eye health programs 

  • Chelsea Andrews
    Chelsea Andrews

    Chelsea Andrews has spent her career building community-centered programs from the Middle East to the U.S., and now on a
global scale in eye health. Over the past decade in the nonprofit sector

  • Soubhik Chel
    Soubhik Chel

    Soubhik Chel is a dedicated optometrist and myopia practitioner focused on advancing evidence-based clinical care and community eye health in India.

  • Rutul Shah
    Rutul Shah

    Rutul Shah is a Manager – Training and Quality at Mission for Vision, where she leads Mission Saksham, a national initiative focused on strengthening the eyecare workforce in India by training Allied Ophthalmic Personnel (AOPs).

  • Silvana Torres
    Silvana Torres

    Silvana Torres, 31, was born and raised in San Juan Nepomuceno, Paraguay. She graduated as a Medical Doctor from Universidad del Pacífico in 2018. She later completed her specialization in Ophthalmology and Ophthalmic Surgery at Fundación Visión, accredited by the Universidad Católica “Nuestra Señora de la Asunción,” graduating in 2023.

  • Mehran Memon
    Mehran Memon

    Mehran Memon is Assistant Director of Information Technology at the Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (SIOVS), Pakistan, where he also serves as Certified Master Trainer, IT Lead for Peek Projects, and Focal Person for Safeguarding.

  • Cynthia Gape
    Cynthia Gape

    Cynthia Gape is a Software Trainer and Design Lead at Peek Vision, focused on developing innovative training strategies that strengthen partner capacity and expand access to quality eye health services.

  • Adnan Abdul Majeed
    Adnan Abdul Majeed

    Dr. Adnan Abdul Majeed, FCPS (Pakistan), MRCS (Glasgow, UK), FRCS (Glasgow, UK), is a Consultant Ophthalmologist and Academic Coordinator at the Sindh Institute of Ophthalmology & Visual Sciences (SIOVS).

  • Fatima Kyari
    Fatima Kyari

    Prof. Fatima Kyari is the Registrar/Chief Executive Officer of the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria (MDCN), where she provides strategic leadership for the regulation of medical and dental practice, professional conduct, and training standards nationwide.

  • Marco Antnio Otavano Soares
    Marco Antnio Otavano Soares

    Marco Antonio Otaviano Soares is a technology entrepreneur, systems leader, and the Project Manager for Brazil at Global Vision 2020. Recognized as a recent award nominee for his commitment to solving global health issues in eyecare, Marco is dedicated to democratizing access to clear vision.

Climate and Crisis Resourcing: Building Resilient Eye Health Systems

If a crisis hit tomorrow, what would we wish we had built three years ago?

This session uses real-world cases to stress-test eye health systems under climate and crisis pressures. Delegates will hear grounded examples of how programmes and countries, including in African contexts, have adapted service delivery during disruption, what held up, what failed, and what trade-offs were made under pressure. The session will challenge participants to think differently about how resilience is designed and financed, and where current funding and programme models may unintentionally leave systems fragile.

Key discussion elements

  • Learning from real-world examples of eye health service adaptation during climate and crisis disruptions
  • Exploring the system features that support resilience, including workforce, service delivery, supply chains, infrastructure, and data
  • Examining the investment and design trade-offs involved in building resilient eye health systems

Moderator

  • Brenda Mareri
    Brenda Mareri

    Brenda Mareri is a Systems Change Practitioner, Engagement Curator and moderator with 14+ years of cross-sectoral experience in regional food and nutrition development and sustainable development.

Speakers

  • Imran Khan
    Imran Khan

    Dr. Imran A. Khan has 20 years of experience across international development, academia, and clinical work. He is the Director of Programme Strategy and Development at Sightsavers, where he leads the strategic and technical direction of the organization’s work in eye health, education, and inclusion.

  • Dennis Soendergaard
    Dennis Soendergaard

    While trained as a traditional bureaucrat, holding a degree in political science, Dennis has worked the last twenty years within health development specializing in assistive technology.

  • Merle Fernandes
    Merle Fernandes

    Dr Fernandes completed her under- and post-graduate training at Goa Medical College, Goa and did a fellowship in Cornea and Anterior Segment at LV Prasad Eye Institute (LVPEI), Hyderabad in 2001. She completed a post doctoral fellowship in Ocular Surface Immunology, under the mentorship of Professor Reza Dana at Schepens Eye Research Institute, Harvard Medical School, Boston in 2015.

Aligning for Impact: The Data & Evidence Success Framework

What would it take to align the eye health sector around shared indicators and joined-up data?

This session launches the Data for Success Framework, designed to bring greater alignment to eye health data and support better decision-making, clearer accountability, and stronger sector advocacy. Through case studies, it will showcase practical approaches to strengthening data ecosystems from national to global levels.

Key discussion elements

  • Introducing the Data for Success Framework
  • Aligning the sector around shared indicators and joined-up data
  • Strengthening data systems for decision-making, accountability, and advocacy
  • Learning from practical case studies across national and global data ecosystems

Moderator

  • Anthea Burnett
    Anthea Burnett

    Dr Anthea Burnett is the Head of Data & Evidence at IAPB, with over 15 years of international public health experience.

Speakers

  • Adrienne Pizatella
    Adrienne Pizatella

    Adrienne Pizatella is on the Public Health team at Bloomberg Philanthropies. She supports the Tobacco Control Initiative, the Data for Health Initiative and is newly supporting the Vision Initiative - a two-year commitment to address vision needs globally.

  • Stuart Keel
    Stuart Keel

    Dr Stuart Keel leads the work on Vision and Eye Care in the Department of Noncommunicable Diseases, at the World Health Organization headquarters in Geneva.

  • Anthea Burnett
    Anthea Burnett

    Dr Anthea Burnett is the Head of Data & Evidence at IAPB, with over 15 years of international public health experience.

  • Beatrice Varga
    Beatrice Varga

    Beatrice Varga is Senior Director, US Programs and Partnerships at The Fred Hollows Foundation, bringing over 17 years of experience across academia, INGOs, and the private sector.

  • Dr. Monicah Bitok
    Dr. Monicah Bitok

    Dr. Monicah Bitok is a public health expert and ophthalmologist with over 15 years of experience spanning clinical practice, health policy, and public health programming.

  • Ola Al-Shurbaji
    Ola Al-Shurbaji

    Ola Al-Shurbaji is a Senior Project Manager at the Institute for Family Health, a King Hussein Foundation institution, where she leads a national eye health integration program in Jordan.

  • Iris Van den Brande
    Iris Van den Brande

    For over a decade, I have had the privilege of working with the patient and policy community to build sustainable, trusting relationships between people living with different conditions and the private sector.

2030 In Sight Action Cafe: Rapid Fire Presentations Session 3

What is working now across policy, financing and service delivery?

Session 3 of the Rapid Fire sessions with curated presentations from the call for submissions.

  1. Does Health Insurance Protect from Catastrophic Health Expenditure on Cataract Surgery? Evidence from Rural China
  2. Productivity Study of Presbyopia Elimination in Garment Workers (PROSPER II): A randomized trial
  3. Building Capacity of Community Health Workers and Ophthalmic Assistants for Comprehensive Community-Based Blindness Prevention Globally
  4. Competency Based Training LMS for Allied Ophthalmic Personnel
  5. EyeTeach: Multiplying Eye Care Workforce Capacity Through Strategic Faculty Development
  6. Initiating Low Vision Services in Vietnam: Building Pioneer Models through Capacity Building and International Partnership
  7. Breaking Barriers to Integrated Eye Health in Fragile and Underdeveloped Settings: An Ophthalmic Nurse-Led Model from Haiti and the Caribbean

Chairs

  • Cindy Ogundo
    Cindy Ogundo

    Dr. Cindy is a dedicated consultant ophthalmologist and public health specialist whose work bridges patient care, research, and education.

  • Adam Askew
    Adam Askew

    Adam Askew is Chief Executive of the Vision Catalyst Fund, a resource mobilisation platform supporting low- and middle-income governments to access sustainable finance for eye care. He brings nearly 20 years of experience in partnerships, campaigns, and funding, with deep expertise in philanthropy and innovative finance.

Presenters

  • Juania Auguste
    Juania Auguste

    Juania Mela Mora Cuna Auguste is an ophthalmic nurse from Haiti dedicated to advancing equitable access to eye care through prevention, education, and community outreach.

  • Jack Hennessy
    Jack Hennessy

    Jack is an internationally recognised economist with extensive experience in health economics research, policy, advocacy, and evaluation.

  • Anshu Singh
    Anshu Singh

    Anshu Singh, based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India, is a public health professional with nearly a decade of experience in the eye care sector. She holds a B.Tech in Electronics and Communication

  • Vinod Daniel
    Vinod Daniel

    Vinod Daniel is the CEO and Managing Trustee of India Vision Institute. He has been associated with IVI since its inception. He is the recipient of the Association of Community Ophthalmologists of India (ACOIN) Golden Eye Award in 2012

  • Dhivya Ramasamy
    Dhivya Ramasamy

    Dhivya Ramasamy is the Executive Director at LAICO, the training and consulting arm of Aravind Eye Care System, based in Madurai, India. She has experience in healthcare management and training within the eye care sector, working on consultancy projects with hospitals in India, Bangladesh, and Zambia.

  • Sonia Pant
    Sonia Pant

    Dr Sonia is a public health specialist with over a decade of experience, specializing in Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research (MER), strategic program management, and capacity building.

  • Nguyen Thi Thuy
    Nguyen Thi Thuy

    I began my career as a Refraction Technician, spending years in clinical settings dedicated to restoring clear vision for individual patients. However, witnessing firsthand how many people remain in darkness simply due to a lack of access to basic eye care, I realized that sitting at a diagnostic table limited the scale of help I could provide.

16:30 - 16:45

Sessions close for Closing Plenary - Break

16:45 - 17:15

Closing Plenary - Day 2 (Mt Kilimanjaro)

All Day

Poster Display & Innovation Showcase (Mt Kenya 3 & Mt Elgon 1)

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