Skills for Change

Develop the leadership skills needed to drive progress towards 2030 In Sight! Join interactive workshops and masterclasses to draft policy asks, explore advocacy techniques, and build campaign strategies. Share best practices on community engagement and learn how to mobilise support for inclusive eye health initiatives. Dive deep into eye health systems and explore collaborative solutions to the challenges we face.

Sessions

Masterclass: Developing an eye health policy ask

Discuss with sector experts how to craft a powerful and persuasive eye health policy request, and workshop ways to mobilize cross-sector support for a compelling, integrated proposal. Attendees will gain tools to develop clear, impactful policy requests that resonate with decision-makers and drive coordinated progress, ensuring alignment with national eye health priorities and the wider movement’s goals.

Room: Changemaker Room

Speakers

Mario Bustos Rubilar
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Mario Bustos Rubilar

Originally from Chile and based in Manila, Philippines, with an undergraduate degree in Rehabilitation Sciences from the University of Concepcion, Chile, and a PhD in Psychology and Science Languages from University College London.
Azra Herceg
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Azra Herceg

Azra Herceg is a dedicated EBO-certified ophthalmologist and public health advocate, with a strong commitment to fighting preventable blindness.
Sarah Khor
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Sarah Khor

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

Director of Policy, Strategy and Advocacy, IAPB

Masterclass: Advocacy & Influencing

Master advocacy tactics and influencing skills essential for eye health advancement, with a chance to practice and workshop your ideas with experienced advocacy practitioners. Learn how to strategically engage stakeholders, shape narratives, and build partnerships to amplify your influence within the eye health landscape.

Room: Changemaker Room

Speakers

Paula Mukherjee
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Paula Mukherjee

Ms. Paula Mukherjee has completed her Bachelor of Optometry and holds a Master’s degree in Clinical Social Work. She is also a Fellow of ASCO in Dispensing Optics. With over 17 years of experience in the field of Optometry, she has worked in retail sector as a clinical optometrist, as an academician, has been instrumental in advocacy for the profession at the ministry level (ministry of health and family welfare) and contributed to social responsibility business as a community optometrist as well.
Sabrina von Wegerer Elizeche
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Sabrina von Wegerer Elizeche

Sabrina von Wegerer Elizeche is the manager of the Research and Development department at Fundación Visión in Paraguay. She holds a degree in Economics from National Taiwan University in Taipei. She is fluent in German, English, Spanish, and Mandarin Chinese.
Joyce Koech
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Joyce Koech

Joy Koech is the Head of Inclusive Health Programmes at CBM. As a Public Health Specialist, she brings extensive experience in Public Health Programming and Health System Strengthening in low and middle-income countries.
Junu Shrestha
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Junu Shrestha

Junu Shrestha is a public health professional with a strong focus on health policy and advocacy. She plays a key role in advancing Integrated People-Centred Eye Care (IPEC), working closely with the World Health Organization and global partners to support the implementation of IPEC at country level.
Kristine Nyabera
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Kristine Nyabera

Kristine is a strategic and results-driven programs officer for the Sub Saharan Africa with over seven years of expertise in full project cycle management across international and national development agencies.

Masterclass: Story to Strategy Lab; Every Story Counts

Unlock the power of storytelling to drive global change and celebrate achievement. Learn how compelling narratives have inspired action and influenced policy. Gain a strong understanding of applying storytelling principles to make eye health impossible to ignore.

Room: Changemaker Room

Speakers

Natasha Kennedy
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Natasha Kennedy

Natasha has led the campaigns and communications department at Sightsavers for nearly 5 years.
Dr Caroline Casey
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Dr Caroline Casey

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

Jeff serves as Chief Marketing Officer of Cure Blindness Project. A seasoned brand strategist and marketer, Jeff believes brands have the power to move people - and therefore to make incredible impact in the world.
Simon Darvill
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Simon Darvill

Simon Darvill is an experienced communications and campaigns leader with seven years experience working in the eye health sector and ten years in politics.

Masterclass: Eye Health & the Sustainable Development Goals

Eye health contributes directly to over half of the Sustainable Development Goals, accelerating progress across health, education, economic growth, and equality. In a challenging political climate marked by decreased funding for international development, prioritizing cost-effective solutions like eye health is vital to sustaining progress and achieving lasting impact.

This SDG 101 session unpacks why eye health is essential to sustainable development and equips participants with insights to advocate for eye health as a critical enabler in achieving national and global goals.

Room: Changemaker Room

Speakers

Brandon Ah Tong
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Brandon Ah Tong

Brandon has 20 years experience working in various human rights based policy and advocacy roles within the health, disability and international development sectors. Previously with the national peak body Vision 2020 Australia, Brandon’s responsibilities spanned prevention, early intervention, Indigenous Peoples health, disability and development within the Asia Pacific region.
Louisa Syrett
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Louisa Syrett

Louisa Syrett is a seasoned advocacy and strategy leader with 20 years of experience driving social justice, international development, and health initiatives across multilateral, INGO, public, and private sectors.
Dr Imran Khan
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Dr 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. Imran serves as co-chair for the IAPB Climate Action working group.
Katri Bertram
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Katri Bertram

In her work, Katri aims to ensure that all people can live healthy lives, equity becomes a reality, and the power of inclusive partnerships is leveraged for more impact.
Amanda Huang
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Amanda Huang

With over 20 years of impactful experience in international development, Amanda dedicates to advancing children’s welfare, community resilience, and equitable eye health access across China and the Asia-Pacific region.

Masterclass: Eye health as a complex system

Eye health operates within a complex, interconnected system, requiring a nuanced approach to address challenges and leverage opportunities. In this session, participants will explore the characteristics of complex systems—such as interdependence, unpredictability, and adaptability—and learn essential skills in systems thinking, strategic foresight, and collaborative problem-solving.

Room: Changemaker Room

Speakers

Anna McKeon
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Anna McKeon

Anna is the Director of Capability Building at IAPB, where she works to strengthen systems leadership across the eye health sector.
Fatima Zehra
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Fatima Zehra

Fatima Zehra is a program management professional with over a decade of experience in eye health, human resource development, and disability-inclusive healthcare.
Jissa James
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Jissa James

Jissa James is a global eye health and development professional with over 15 years of experience in strategic partnerships, knowledge-sharing, and advocacy.
Emmanuel Osei-Mensah
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Emmanuel Osei-Mensah

Emmanuel Osei-Mensah is a seasoned evaluation professional with over a decade of experience in the non-profit sector and academia.
Sabitra Kundu
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Sabitra Kundu

With 20+ years of experience in the eye health sector, I have worked with stalwarts from the industry. During this time, I have engaged with different partners that include NGOs, Hospitals, Corporates and Philanthropists.

Masterclass: Multisector partnerships for eye health

Building impactful partnerships across sectors is essential to advancing eye health but requires skill in navigating competing priorities and integrating diverse goals.

This session draws on practice shares from successful partnerships to equip participants with strategies for bridging gaps, resolving conflicts, and aligning multi-stakeholder interests. Learn how to develop and sustain partnerships that enhance resource sharing, ensure cohesive strategies, and foster integrated action, amplifying collective impact within and beyond the eye health sector.

Room: Changemaker Room

Speakers

Anna McKeon
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Anna McKeon

Anna is the Director of Capability Building at IAPB, where she works to strengthen systems leadership across the eye health sector.
Elizabeth Muchoki
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Elizabeth Muchoki

A highly driven Health Systems Specialist and Global Health Leader with over 15 years of dedicated service in strengthening health systems to deliver impactful, sustainable, and responsive healthcare solutions in developing countries, including emergency and conflict-prone environments.
Jacqueline Grove
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Jacqueline Grove

Jacqueline Grove has over 15 years of experience in the vision sector, previously with Luxottica Retail and currently with National Vision Inc. Her roles have been quite diverse ranging from SVP of Store Operations, Training and Development, DEIB and Philanthropy.
Ameer Abou Adela
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Ameer Abou Adela

Ameer Abou Adela is an optometrist with nine years of experience in advancing public health and optometry. He holds a BS in Optics & Optometry from the American University of Science and Technology (AUST), an MBA from Sagesse University, and is pursuing a PhD at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Anshu Taneja
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Anshu Taneja

We are honoured to invite Anshu Taneja, an award-winning social entrepreneur and the driving force behind VisionSpring in India since 2013.