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ICO offers selected WOC presentations online

Supported by a grant from Genentech, the ICO has made 26 selected presentations from the World Ophthalmology Congress® in Hong Kong available at:

ico.scientificabstracts.org.

These presentations combine slides with audio. You will need to advance the slides manually to match the words of the speaker.

Also available are all of the slide presentations from the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium. The welcome page for the site describes how to select and view the various presentations.

World Ophthalmology Congress® attracts 13,000

WOC 2008 Hong Kong Welcomes You

With 10,500 ophthalmologists and 2,500 exhibitors and other participants from 105 countries and territories, the 2008 World Ophthalmology Congress, June 28 – July 2 in Hong Kong, was the largest ever.

Based on feedback from registrants, it was also one of the best, even though Typhoon Feizen brushed Hong Kong as many were arriving and left behind days of rain. The Congress was praised for the breadth and depth of the scientific program, excellent organization and staffing and unforgettable social events.

Sponsored by the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO), the Congress was hosted by the College of Ophthalmologist of Hong Kong and Hong Kong Ophthalmological Society and co-hosted by the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology and Chinese Ophthalmological Society.

The 2008 WOC incorporated the XXXI International Congress of Ophthalmology, XXII Congress of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology, XIII Congress of the Chinese Ophthalmological Society and XX Hong Kong Ophthalmological Symposium.

Congress President Dennis Lam, MD, called it the "Olympics of ophthalmology."

Highlights of the 2008 WOC

Among the highlights of the World Ophthalmology Congress® in Hong Kong:

  • More than 1100 internationally recognized speakers in 319 scientific sessions, many organized by more than 40 international, supranational, national and subspecialty ophthalmologic societies

  • 200 submitted free papers and more than 3600 posters

  • 34 symposia sponsored by industry with seven live surgery sessions

  • A Subspecialty Day focused on cataract and refractive surgery, glaucoma, and retina

  • More than 3000 registrants from Mainland China, with 70 sessions, 500 presentations and 1600 posters in the Chinese Ophthalmological Society program

  • The first World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC), with more than 100 speakers on educational initiatives in 18 symposia

  • The second World Forum of Non-Profit Organizations in Vision and Blindness Prevention and 19 sessions related to VISION 2020

  • Dazzling social events that featured Chinese cuisine and culture, including a fluorescent dragon dance and traditional Bian Lian or "face changing" performance at the Opening Ceremonies.

WOC 2010 Berlin logo2010 World Congress in Berlin

The next World Ophthalmology Congress® will be June 5 – 9, 2010, in Berlin, hosted by the German Ophthalmological Society (DOG) and co-hosted by the German Academy of Ophthalmology (AAD).

2010 WOC President Gerhard Lang, MD, reported to the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) in Hong Kong on plans for the Congress, which will incorporate XXXII International Congress of Ophthalmology, the 108th Congress of the DOG  and AAD 2010.

2008 WOC Scientific Program Director Stephen Ryan, MD, will work with Professor Gabriele Lang, MD, on the scientific program for Berlin, with Congress General Secretary Anselm Kampik, MD, organizing the program for the AAD. The 2010 WOC will also offer subspecialty days and instruction courses.

The main social event will be a Bavarian-style Octoberfest, to be called the WOCtoberfest. For more information, see www.woc2010.de.

The International Congress of Ophthalmology was previously held in Germany in Heidelberg in 1888 and Munich in 1966.

MEACO will host 2012 WOC in Abu Dhabi

At its meeting in Hong Kong, the ICO approved Abu Dhabi, capital city of the United Arab Emirates, as the site for 2012 World Ophthalmology Congress®, which will be hosted by the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO).

"We are excited to be meeting in Abu Dhabi in 2012," commented ICO President Bruce E. Spivey, MD, who visited Abu Dhabi with ICO Executive Director Bill Felch just prior to the WOC in Hong Kong. "It is an appealing location with excellent facilities and a strong commitment to support the WOC."

"This is the first time in 150 years that the World Ophthalmology Congress will be held in the Middle East African Region, and MEACO proposed Abu Dhabi as the site," said MEACO President Abdulaziz AlRajhi, MD. "MEACO will strive to fulfill the trust placed in it by the ICO and the international ophthalmic community and make this a truly historic meeting."

The 2012 WOC was originally scheduled in Chicago in conjunction with the American Academy of Ophthalmology. But the WOC developed into a major international Congress, and ICO and Academy leaders agreed in 2007 that it would be impossible for the WOC to fit within the framework of the AAO Annual Meeting or for the Academy to fit within a WOC.

The Council invited the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) to host the 2012 WOC and has now approved Abu Dhabi as the site, with the Congress most likely to be scheduled in February.

IFOS becomes the International Council of Ophthalmology

The best-attended General Assembly of the International Federation of Ophthalmological Societies (IFOS) in history was also the last, as Representatives of more than 50 IFOS member societies approved revised Statutes that change the name of the organization to the International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO).

Those societies are now members of the ICO, and the former Council is now the Board of Trustees of the ICO. The roles and relationships have not changed, just the names.

The roots of IFOS and the ICO date back to 1857 when 150 ophthalmologists from 24 countries convened in Brussels for the first International Congress of Ophthalmology. Participants in the Congress founded the ICO in 1927 in Scheveningen, Holland, and IFOS in 1933 in Madrid, Spain.

Prior to the vote in Hong Kong, the IFOS was the official name of the organization, with the ICO serving as the executive body. But over the years the "ICO" became better known than IFOS, leading to considerable confusion and a proposal to adopt a single name.

The next General Assembly of the ICO will be on June 5, 2010 at the World Ophthalmology Congress® in Berlin.

First World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC)

On June 28 at the 2008 WOC in Hong Kong, the ICO organized the first World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium, with more than 100 speakers in 18 symposia focused on efforts to enhance the training and continuing education of ophthalmologists and other eye care personnel.

Among the topics covered:

  • Competency-based Residency Education
  • How To Teach Ophthalmic Subspecialties
  • Training Ophthalmic Specialists in Developing Countries
  • Teaching Practical Skills to Medical Students
  • Establishing Training Programs for Allied Health Professionals
  • What Should Not Be Done in Organizing a CME/CPD Course
  • Learning from Patients How to Improve Eye Care 
  • Online Education: The New Frontier

Supported by a grant from Genentech, the ICO is offering all of the presentations from the WOEC online at ico.scientificabstracts.org.

WOEC Keynote on Improving Ophthalmic Education

In a luncheon presentation for the faculty of the World Ophthalmic Education Colloquium (WOEC), ICO President Bruce Spivey, MD, summarized research on how adults learn and compared it to how medical students, residents and ophthalmologists are trained and the continuing education programs that are offered now.

Speaking on the "Direction & Development of Ophthalmic Education in the Coming Decade," Dr. Spivey made specific suggestions for enhancing medical student selection, medical education, residency and fellowship training and CME.

He outlined the different learning styles and encouraged educators to evaluate their own style at www.vark-learn.com.

"You – this group – are the key to creating better education, and thus, better patient care," Dr. Spivey concluded. "Let’s view this as the first of a regular meeting of ophthalmic educators to elevate the level of ophthalmic education worldwide."

The slides and audio of Dr. Spivey's presentation are available at:

ico.scientificabstracts.org/epswoc2008.cfm?id=184.

You will need to advance the slides manually to match the audio.

ICO WORLD focuses on education, advocacy and leadership

About 150 leaders of ophthalmologic societies and teaching programs participated in the third ICO World Ophthalmology Roundtable on Leadership Development (WORLD), on June 27 in Hong Kong.

The Roundtable focused on:

  • enhancing ophthalmic education
  • improving advocacy for eye care
  • developing ophthalmologic leaders and organizations.

For each area, there were brief presentations followed by discussion of initiatives around the world.

The ICO distributed USB drives to all WORLD participants (and IFOS Representatives) with a variety of resources for education, advocacy, leadership and organizational development. We will make these resources available on the ICO Web site in the future as part of plans to bring WORLD online.

ICO established the WORLD program early in 2007 to bring leaders of ophthalmologic societies and educational institutions together to exchange information and ideas that will help them develop effective organizations and programs to enhance ophthalmic education and access to eye care.

The first two WORLD Roundtables were in Lahore, Pakistan in February 2007, at the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology Congress, and in Dubai that March at the Congress of the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology. Additional Roundtables will be organized at supranational society congresses in 2009.

ICO aspires to build a World Alliance for Sight

At the WORLD Roundtable in Hong Kong, ICO President Bruce Spivey, MD, outlined an organizational model that the ICO has defined in which it would create a "world alliance for sight."

In its recent strategic planning process, Dr. Spivey reported, the ICO recognized that, if it really aspires to improve access to eye care worldwide, enhancing residency education and other educational programs is not enough. Ophthalmology must also advocate for increased support for eye care and help build greater capacity, particularly in developing countries, he said.

And the ICO cannot do that by itself. Instead, it must work with and through other ophthalmologic organizations and educational institutions, Dr. Spivey said. And helping those organizations develop effective leadership and organizations will be critical to success.

With that perspective, he reported, the ICO evaluated various possible organizational models and decided it should act as a facilitator, leader, innovator, convener, stimulator and supporter of interested ophthalmologic societies and educational institutions, particularly in developing areas. As a result, in addition to developing its own programs, the ICO will focus on:

  • educating educators
  • training and supporting advocates
  • helping leaders and organizations develop.

ICO success will be measured, Dr. Spivey said, by the extent to which ophthalmologic leaders develop effective societies and institutions that enhance education and improve eye care. And work together in a World Alliance for Sight.

Leadership development in Sub-Saharan Africa

At the WORLD meeting in Hong Kong, ICO Executive Director Bill Felch reported on a leadership development initiative that evolved from the WORLD program and fits well in the future model for the ICO described above.

In March 2007, the ICO and Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO) formed the ICO/MEACO Advisory Leadership for Sub-Saharan Africa, with 21 ophthalmologists invited from 11 countries to the MEACO Congress in Dubai.

Subsequent meetings of the Advisory Leadership Group in Nairobi in October 2007 and South Africa in March 2008 featured half- or full-day workshops on facilitating meetings, national advocacy, training trainers and the realities of leadership in Africa.

The Group has also formed working groups to focus on six priority areas:

  • Enhancing Subspecialty Training
  • Enhancing Residency Education
  • Equipment and Materials for Training and Practice
  • Advocacy for Increased Support for Eye Care
  • Society Development/Continuing Professional Development
  • Leadership Development.

Now with 39 members from 18 countries, the Group will meet at again at the end of October in Nigeria, with workshops on team building, management and development of sustainable ophthalmology group practices.

Participants in Dubai Meeting of ICO Advisory Resource Group
ICO Advisory Resource Group on Sub-Saharan Africa, Dubai

ICO and American Academy collaborate on education

American Academy of Ophthalmology (AAO) Executive Vice President H. Dunbar Hoskins, Jr., MD, reported at the WORLD meeting on collaboration between the Academy and ICO on enhancing ophthalmic education in developing countries.

The AAO and ICO are working together to make the Academy’s Ophthalmic News and Education (O.N.E.) Network available to ophthalmologists in developing countries at no cost, starting in January 2009. O.N.E. is a Web-based education and information resource for ophthalmologists, with a wide range of clinical content and educational tools (one.aao.org).

The Academy and ICO have formed an International Advisory Panel to provide advice on adapting ONE for use around the world, and Dr. Hoskins reported on feedback received from the Panel so far.

Earlier this year, the Academy and ICO worked together to send the 2008 edition of the Academy's Basic and Clinical Science Course (BCSC) to 200 ophthalmology residency training programs in 61 developing countries, at no cost to the programs.

New ICO Web site for improving residency training

Also at the WORLD meeting, Eduardo Mayorga, MD, announced the ICO's new World Ophthalmology Residency Development (WORD) program, an online resource center and forum dedicated to enhancing residency training in ophthalmology.

WORD evolved from the ICO Courses for Residency Programs Directors that have been organized around the world. Developed by Dr. Mayorga, MD, and Gabriela Palis, MD, WORD provides a place where program directors and others involved with residency training can "meet" and work together.

It will focus on:

  1. What To Teach, including the ICO curriculum for residency training and other curricula, goals and objectives that have been developed in other regions.

  2. How To Teach, including techniques that are covered in the Program Directors Course, tools for creating educational content and guidelines for lectures, case presentations, wet labs, quizzes, etc.

  3. What to Teach With, including Web sites, lectures, videos, and other materials that are useful for teaching residents.

WORD is currently available in English and Spanish, and there is a monthly e-mail newsletter that highlights resources for teaching residents. Among the goals of the program are sharing existing educational materials and stimulating and supporting the development of new materials where needed.

You can visit WORD at www.icoword.org. To participate, you will need to apply for access and obtain a user name and password, but it is an easy process. Dr. Mayorga said that the success of the program will depend on the extent to which those involved in residency training are willing to participate.

ICO Program Directors Courses in Brazil, Slovenia and Ethiopia

ICO Courses for Residency Program Directors are scheduled in 2008 in:

  • Florianopolis, Brazil, on September 1 - 2 (a follow-up on the 2007 Course in Brasilia)
  • Potoroz, Slovenia, on September 29 – 30, and
  • Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, December 7 – 8.

The latter Course is for all residency program directors from Sub-Saharan Africa.

Future course are being planned for 2009 in Bali, prior to Asia Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology meeting in May, and in China.

Previously offered in Mexico, Peru, Egypt, Pakistan, Argentina and Brazil, the Courses are organized in cooperation with national and supranational ophthalmologic societies with support from the American Academy of Ophthalmology and U.S. Association of University Professors of Ophthalmology. Topics covered include curriculum development, teaching in outpatient areas, surgical instruction and assessment of residents’ knowledge and skills.

"Advocates" meet in Hong Kong

Ophthalmologic societies can make a critical contribution to increasing support for eye care and prevention of visual loss, ICO Director for Advocacy Hugh Taylor, AC, told "Advocates" named by societies to work with the ICO at a luncheon in Hong Kong.

Dr. Taylor and other international experts outlined the need for advocacy, what is already being done -- particularly the VISION 2020 global initiative --, and how societies and the Advocates they have named can help.

The ICO will ask Advocates (including those who were unable to attend) to work with their national VISION 2020 Committee or Prevention of Blindness Committee and National VISION 2020 Coordinator on specific initiatives. It will provide a variety of resources to help them advocate effectively.

Advocacy Presentations and Tips

The following presentations from the Advocates luncheon and WORLD Roundtable that followed can be downloaded from the ICO Web site:

Council acts on future WOCs

At its meeting prior in Hong Kong, the Council (now the Board of the ICO):

  • Approved Abu Dhabi as the site of the 2012 World Ophthalmology Congress®, which will be hosted by the Middle East African Council of Ophthalmology (MEACO)

  • Adopted a revised policy calling for rotation of future World Ophthalmology Congresses among four regions: the Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East/Africa and the Americas

  • Agreed the 2016 WOC will be in the Americas and 2018 in Europe, with proposals for sites to be considered by the Board six years ahead of time

  • Elected David Taylor, FRCOphth, FRCPCH, DSc (Med), new Director of Assessments, taking over for Peter Watson, FRCS, FRCPCH, FRCOphth, who founded the Assessments in 1995.

  • Discussed the plans of the ICO Task Force on Uncorrected Refractive Error, chaired by Babar Qureshi, BMBCh, DOMS, for addressing the needs of the 153 million persons worldwide with visual loss from uncorrected refractive error, including pilot projects in Pakistan and Uganda

  • Agreed that the ICO should define a policy on the use of refractionists worldwide to meet public needs

  • Reviewed consensus statements on screening for glaucoma submitted by the ICO’s Exploratory Task Force on Glaucoma, chaired by Ivan Goldberg, MBBS, FRANZCO, FRACS, and asked the Task Force to define what needs to be done to train the ophthalmologists and other personnel needed to manage and treat glaucoma in developing countries

  • Front page of the ICO Report on Functional VisionRecommended wide dissemination of a report from the ICO Standards Committee on "Assessment and Rehabilitation of Functional Vision," prepared by August Colenbrander, MD

  • Reviewed a report on ethical considerations related to human research and agreed to ask ophthalmologic societies and training programs to incorporate those considerations into their research programs and disseminate them to others

  • Agreed to ask the ICO Task Force on Medical Student Education to define the minimum eye care knowledge to be expected for physicians finishing medical school.

Council adopts conflict of interest policy

At its meeting in Hong Kong Council also:

  • Adopted a Conflict of Interest Policy and had members of the Council and its Advisory Committee sign statements disclosing any potential conflicts

  • Agreed to recommendation of the Advisory Committee to the Board, chaired by Dunbar Hoskins, MD, to create a consortium of societies interested in the development and dissemination of surgical simulation technologies

  • Presented the G.O.H. Naumann Award for Leadership in Global Eye Care to BGK Ajayi of Nigeria and heard a presentation from Dr. Ajayi on The Nigerian Initiative.

  • Named Bradley R. Straastma, MD, JD, an honorary life member of the ICO Board in recognition of his formation and leadership of the ICOFoundation. Hilel Lewis, MD, will take over as the President of the ICOFoundation in 2009 and Al Sommer, MD, will become Vice President.

  • Discussed ways to streamline and facilitate the application process for ICO Fellowships, which will be considered by Director for Fellowships Peter Gabel, MD

  • Heard reports from the World Health Organization (WHO) and International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB) on progress with implementation of VISION 2020: The Right To Sight, the global initiative to eradicate avoidable blindness by 2020

  • Approved revised Regulations for the Board, for the World Ophthalmology Congress and for ICO Awards that reflect the name change

  • Reviewed reports and plans of other ICO committees and task forces and approved a $1.4 million budget for 2008 and 2009.

David Taylor New Director of Assessments

Mark Tso, MD
ICO Director for Assessments David Taylor, FRCOphth

At its meeting in Hong Kong, the Council named David Taylor, FRCOphth, FRCPCH, DSc (Med), new Director of Assessments, taking over for Peter Watson, FRCS, FRCPCH, FRCOphth, who founded the Assessments in 1995.

Since then, 15,433 candidates have taken the Basic and Clinical Assessments, including more than 2000 who sat for the exams at 92 test centers in 61 countries in 2008.

In recognition of Mr. Watson’s contributions to the ICO and international ophthalmology, the ICO will name the top performer on the Assessments each year a "Watson Scholar." The Council also thanked Assessments Administrator Rosemary Bell for her many years of dedicated service.

The Council discussed allowing candidates that pass the Assessments to use a specific acronym after their name to reflect this achievement, but deferred action until a future meeting.

2009 Assessments on April 2

January 31, 2009 is the deadline to apply to take the 2009 Assessments, which will be offered on April 2. For applications, contact the Assessments Office at its new address:

11-43 Bath Street
London
EC1V 9EL
Telelphone: +44 207 608 6949
Fax: +44 207 608 6947
Email: assess@icoph.org
Web: www.icoph.org/assess

Resources To Help Prepare for the Assessments

Now available for download from the ICO Web site are lists of books, Web sites and courses that may be particularly helpful in preparing for both the Basic and Clinical Assessments:

Fellowships Available from 76 Centers

ICO Director for Fellowships Peter Gabel, MD, reported to the Council that 293 young ophthalmologists from 48 developing countries have received Fellowships from the ICO since the program was started in 2000.

Dr. Gabel reported that an International Ophthalmological Fellowship Foundation, which was established in Germany in March 2007, has raised almost $USD 70,000 for the Fellowship. Donations worth $120,000 were made through the ICOFoundation in 2007, with $173,000 in support from the ICO.

There are currently 76 training centers around the world that accept ICO Fellows. The deadlines for applying for Fellowships are April 30 and October 31 of each year.

Revised policies, instructions, frequently asked questions and application forms for the ICO International Fellowships are now available.

Please be sure read the policies and instructions completely before completing the applications or contacting the Fellowship Office with questions.

The list of training centers and application documents are currently being revised and will be posted at www.icoph.org/fellow.

2014 WOC will be March 28 – April 4 in Tokyo

In March 2007, the ICO selected the Japanese Ophthalmological Society as the host for the 2014 World Ophthalmology Congress®, in Tokyo. It has been scheduled for March 28 to April 4 at the Tokyo International Forum, during cherry blossom time.

2016 WOC in the Americas, Host To Be Selected in 2010

At its meeting in Hong Kong, the ICO approved a recommendation from its Strategic Planning Committee and Officers that the World Ophthalmology Congress®, rotate in the future among four regions: Asia-Pacific, Europe and the Middle East/Africa and the Americas. Previously, the Congress rotated among three regions, with Europe, the Middle East and Africa combined into one.

The 2016 WOC will be in the Americas. It will have been 10 years by then since the previous meeting in the Americas, in Sao Paulo in 2006. Proposals for sites for the 2016 WOC will be due early in 2010, for consideration by the ICO Board when it meets in Berlin in June 2010.

The 2018 WOC will be in Europe, and ICO Board will consider proposals for that Congress when it meets in 2012 in Abu Dhabi.

See the new Policy on Future World Ophthalmology Congresses adopted in Hong Kong.

WOC reports and photos available

Ocular Surgery News (OSN) published the WOC Daily in Hong Kong, with sections of each issue in Chinese. Copies can be downloaded from: www.osnsupersite.com/view.asp?rID=29552

OSN also offers reports on many presentations from the Congress at: www.osnsupersite.com/setContent.asp?setID=405

To view or download photos and videos from the WOC, visit the Congress Web site at: www.woc2008hongkong.org/woc/index09_3.shtml.

Teaching materials for medical students on ICO Web site

To support teaching medical students about ophthalmology, the ICO is offering lectures and images cited in its Curriculum for Ophthalmic Education of Medical Students on its Web site.

The educational materials include:

  • selected clinical images from the American Academy of Ophthalmology's Ophthalmic Images v.3, donated to the ICO to support education of medical students

  • a series of PowerPoint lectures for medical students contributed by Susan Lightman, FRCP, FRCOphth, PhD, Professor of Clinical Ophthalmology at Moorfields Eye Hospital in London.

There are also other useful resources for teaching medical students available on the Web at no charge. Medical student education was theme of the July 2007 issue of the ICO Leader Letter.

Diabetic Eye Disease Center in Beijing

The International Council of Ophthalmology (ICO) and Peking University Eye Center launched the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease in 2007 in Beijing, China.

Participants in Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center Unveiling Ceremony
Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center Unveiling Ceremony

The Diabetic Eye Disease Center is dedicated to decreasing avoidable visual impairment and blindness due to diabetes through early detection of diabetes, medical control and prevention measures. The Center will provide diabetic eye care to patients and help train local professionals, particularly in the treatment of diabetic retinopathy.

The Eli Lilly and Company Foundation contributed US $150,000 to the ICO Foundation for the establishment of a model diabetic eye disease center in partnership with the ICO. The ICO selected the Peking University Eye Center to host the Center from among a number of candidates.

"With the prevalence of vision-threatening diabetic retinopathy destined to increase, formation of the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center is a major breakthrough in establishing medically coordinated, accessible and sustainable eye care," said Bradley R. Straatsma, MD, JD, president of the ICO Foundation.

There are an estimated 246 million adults with diabetes worldwide, and that number is projected to increase to 380 million by 2025. In China, 30 million people have diabetes, 12 percent of the world total.

The risk of blindness is 25 times higher among people with diabetes, but experts suggest that nearly 90 percent of diabetes related blindness can be prevented by applying currently available medical and eye care.

For more information, see the news release on the launch of the Diabetic Eye Disease Center.

Support for Diabetic Education

At the launch ceremony for the Peking University Eli Lilly Diabetic Eye Disease Center (above), Sidney Taurel, Lilly chairman and chief executive officer, announced an additional grant of $US 35,000 from Lilly to the ICO Foundation for a related Global Diabetes Education Program.

The ICO Diabetes Education Program will help develop diabetic retinopathy prevention and treatment as well as education materials in local languages for diabetes patients, nurses and ophthalmologists.

At the same time, Lilly is launching a nationwide diabetes education campaign in China. The campaign will invite 900 diabetes experts from 30 key cities in China to give lectures on diabetes knowledge and education through 30 radio channels. The goal is to promote diabetes awareness and knowledge and to improve the diagnosis and treatment level of diabetes throughout China.gs will prove to be a groundbreaking event for ophthalmology and eye care in Africa."

Focus on Implementation of Curricula

Mark Tso, MD
ICO Education Director Mark Tso, MD

ICO Education Director Mark Tso, MD, reported to the Council that there has been an enthusiastic reaction to publication and distribution of four ICO curricula:

The Education Committee has formed six international Task Forces that will focus on stimulating implementation of these curricula and enhancing ophthalmic education in other ways. National ophthalmologic societies are encouraged to translate the curricula as needed and adapt them for use in their countries.


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