The Summit is a high-level, invite-only event that will primarily convene Heads of State/Government, Health Ministers, Multilateral organizations, key donors, and high-level representatives from Civil Society and the Private Sector.

The Summit is a closed, invite-only event for high-level political leaders and partners. There are no publicly available tickets. Key partners, including IAPB members, will be involved through focused engagement and delegations.

Invitation slots are extremely limited. Your CEO should liaise directly with the IAPB Global Summit team ([email protected]) or your organisation's designated IAPB contact to discuss the possibility of securing an invitation or being included in a high-level member delegation.

There is no direct link between funding the Summit and attendance at the Summit. However, we do need support to pay for the event and the year of action, if you would like to support funding the summit please contact the IAPB Partnerships team ([email protected]) for the current contribution tiers.

While the main Summit is political, expertise of eye health practitioners is vital. You can get involved by supporting national-level advocacy (engaging your Ministry of Health), participating in IAPB's global and regional webinars/meetings, contributing to the "Every Story Counts" campaign to demonstrate the impact of eye care.

Yes, through the "Every Story Counts" campaign. The public can be involved by submitting their eye health stories, which will be amplified globally to build public demand and influence the political narrative at the Summit. #loveyoureyes

Yes. A core part of the strategy is to broaden the eye health conversation. The Summit will specifically engage the private sector including outside traditional eye health to secure new partnerships and innovative financing for eye care.

Promoting the Summit is an opportunity to:

1. Elevate eye health on the global political agenda;
2. Position your organization as a leader committed to the 2030 In Sight strategy; and
3. Drive collective action towards securing the national policy and financial commitments needed to achieve universal eye care.

You can use the resources on the IAPB website as well as by submitting your stories to the "Every Story Counts" campaign to connect the Summit's high-level goals to tangible human impact.

Please contact the IAPB Partnerships and Fundraising team immediately ([email protected]). They will provide detailed information on the different partnership tiers and support opportunities available to align your contribution with the Summit's strategic financial mobilization goals.

We are looking for spokespeople who can speak to the Value of Vision—particularly those who can bridge the gap between eye care and education, productivity, or gender equity. Please contact our Communications team if you have a compelling case study.

The Summit is a catalyst, not a deadline. IAPB Regional Leads will continue to work with all nations to finalise their commitments and integrate them into the global tracking framework – whether they can attend the Summit or not.

Commitments must be submitted by a formal government representative (typically the Ministry of Health or Finance) or CEOs or senior representatives from organisations.

Both civil society, private sector. research and academia, philanthropic organisations and many others can submit individual commitments via the commitment portal 

No. While IAPB is a core organiser, the Summit is being hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda and is a global political event involving UN agencies, governments, private sector leaders and other institutions.

The Global Eye Health Compact is a high-level multistakeholder policy document jointly endorsed by governments, international organizations, civil society, and the private sector. It is a collective statement of intent and accountability by the eye health sector toward achieving the Summit’s goals.

The Global Summit for Eye Health aims to mobilise political and financial commitments. Stakeholders are recommended to not limit commitment making to one sector or age group but to consider a holistic, coordinated approach that views access to comprehensive eye care as critical enabler of inclusive development, economic growth, and health equity.

Ideally commitments would be:

• New i.e. not one made previously
• SMART i.e. specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time bound.
• Based on cross governmental discussion
• Has had an assessment of capacity to meet the commitments
• Aligned with national policies and plans or extends to new policies and plans
• Specifically financed

In addition, countries could align their commitments with international targets or conventions e.g. the SDGs, the UNGA Resolution Vision for Everyone or the eREC and eCSC targets. This would allow ease of reporting in Voluntary National Reviews and to the World Health Organisation for progress towards the 2030 eye health targets.

The deadline for Commitments is World Sight Day, 8 October 2026. Commitments should be entered into the commitment tracker and counted towards the overall commitments made.

The Commonwealth Communique is the high-level political declaration signed at the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. There will be a separate process to ensure that Eye Health also forms part of this declaration.

The Summit will take place in St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda. 

The Global Summit for Eye Health is scheduled for November 2026. Specific dates within that month will be confirmed by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda in the coming weeks. 

The choice of Antigua and Barbuda highlights the importance of political leadership in eye health. Gaston Brown, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and his Government have been a leading champion for eye health on the global stage, including as co-Chair of the UN Friends of Vision Group Antigua and Barbuda offered to host the Summit at the same time as the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting, making it an ideal location to galvanise government commitments at the highest level.  

The Summit is not part of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM), but it will capitalise on the political momentum around the Commonwealth and its strong commitments to Universal Health Coverage and eye health. 

You can access lots of different tools on the IAPB website including key messaging, templates and social media assets, to help you amplify the "Value of Vision" narrative within your network.

IAPB will organise its members on a regional basis, provide templates and advocacy support to help members encourage government commitments and support national policy change.

Launching in February 2025, our online Media Centre will provide press releases, high-resolution imagery and briefing notes on government commitments and the latest research.