Experts from 20 countries meet in Guangzhou to chart new vision for eye health in Western Pacific

Summary

The Western Pacific Regional Eye Health Conference, themed 'Building Eye Health in the Western Pacific: Understanding the Current Situation and Advancing Through Cooperation', was held in Guangzhou from 18 to 19 September. More than 90 ophthalmologists, health officials and representatives of international organisations from 20 countries, including the United States, New Zealand and South Korea, attended the event to discuss assessment of the current state of eye health in the Western Pacific and pathways for action. The conference featured six keynote addresses, delivered by Academician Fan Xianqun of Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Academician Wang Ningli of Capital Medical University, Professor Yan Hua of Tianjin Medical University, Professor Neil Bressler of Johns Hopkins University, Brandon Ah Tong of the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness, and Professor Lin Haotian of the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University.

Topics covered targeted therapy for thyroid-associated ophthalmopathy, challenges and opportunities in eye health, ocular trauma and vitreoretinal disease, prevention and treatment of diabetic retinopathy, progress of the Global Eye Health Summit, and China's exploration and practice in WHO blindness prevention. An award ceremony was held during the reports, presenting the '44th Anniversary of Blindness Prevention Cooperation Award' to Orbis International and the 'Partnering for Vision Care Public Welfare Award' to The Fred Hollows Foundation. The conference included four thematic sessions: 'WHO SPECS and Cataract Initiatives', 'Strengthening People-Centred Integrated Eye Care Services in the Western Pacific', 'Technology Empowering Eye Health' and 'Collaboration for a Better Future'.

Experts from WHO headquarters and the Western Pacific Regional Office, as well as from Malaysia, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Mongolia, Vietnam, Singapore, South Korea and Australia, shared their experiences and discussed topics including integration of service systems, human resources development, raising public awareness and application of technological innovation. The conference was hosted by the Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center at Sun Yat-sen University (WHO Collaborating Centre for Eye Health and Vision), supported by the World Health Organization, and co-organised by Orbis International and The Fred Hollows Foundation. The Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center said it will take this conference as an opportunity to continue deepening practical cooperation with the World Health Organization and international partners, work with regional counterparts to build eye health in the Western Pacific, and contribute China's strength to building a global community of health for all.

Commentary

The Western Pacific Regional Eye Health Conference in Guangzhou brought together experts from 20 countries to discuss regional blindness prevention cooperation. The global eye health market is undergoing structural growth. According to World Health Organization data, more than 90 million people in the Western Pacific still suffer from visual impairment, with cataract and uncorrected refractive error the main causes.

As a regional medical technology leader, China is making rapid progress in AI-assisted screening and low-cost surgical equipment, offering potential cooperation opportunities for New Zealand SMEs. New Zealand's eye care system is strong in primary health networks and telemedicine, with mature experience particularly in diabetic retinopathy screening, and could explore exporting service models to developing countries in the region. On the other hand, the conference's focus on 'technology empowering eye health' provides a channel reference for New Zealand medical technology startups entering Southeast Asian markets — participation in regional multilateral cooperation frameworks can reduce the market access costs of going it alone.

However, it should be noted that the procurement processes and standards certification systems of China-WHO cooperation projects differ from those in New Zealand, and SMEs need to assess compliance costs in advance. The conference's emphasis on 'people-centred integrated eye care services' means future regional public procurement may favour holistic solutions over single devices, and New Zealand companies could consider joint bids with local service providers.

Keywords: Western Pacific Regional Eye Health Conference, Guangzhou, Zhongshan Ophthalmic Center, Sun Yat-sen University, World Health Organization, blindness prevention cooperation, eye health, Orbis International, The Fred Hollows Foundation, regional cooperation, global community of health for all

Summary in Chinese | 摘要

9月18日至19日，“共筑西太眼健康：洞晰现状，合作笃行”西太平洋地区眼健康会议在广州举行，来自美国、新西兰、韩国等20个国家的90余位眼科专家学者、卫生官员及国际组织代表参会，围绕西太平洋区域眼健康的现状评估与行动路径展开研讨。会议设六场主旨报告，上海交通大学范先群院士、首都医科大学王宁利院士、天津医科大学颜华教授、美国约翰斯·霍普金斯大学Neil Bressler教授、国际防盲协会Brandon Ah Tong、中山大学中山眼科中心林浩添教授先后发言，议题涵盖甲状腺相关眼病靶向治疗、眼健康挑战与机遇、眼外伤与玻璃体视网膜疾病、糖尿病视网膜病变防治、全球眼健康峰会进展、中国眼科在世卫组织防盲中的探索与实践等方向。报告期间举行颁奖仪式，向国际奥比斯及弗雷德·霍洛基金会颁授“防盲合作44周年纪念奖”及“护瞳同行合作公益奖”。

会议设置“WHO SPECS与白内障倡议”“加强西太平洋区域以人为本的综合眼保健服务”“技术赋能眼健康”和“面向美好未来的协同合作”四大专题单元，来自世界卫生组织总部及西太平洋区域办事处以及马来西亚、印度尼西亚、孟加拉国、蒙古国、越南、新加坡、韩国、澳大利亚等国专家分享经验，围绕服务体系融合、人力资源建设、公众意识提升、技术创新应用等议题展开讨论。会议由中山大学中山眼科中心（世界卫生组织眼健康与视觉合作中心）主办，世界卫生组织支持，国际奥比斯、弗雷德·霍洛基金会协办。中山大学中山眼科中心表示将以此次会议为契机，持续深化与世界卫生组织及国际伙伴的务实合作，携手区域同行共筑西太眼健康，为构建人类卫生健康共同体贡献中国力量。

Commentary in Chinese | 评论

西太平洋地区眼健康会议在广州召开，汇聚20国专家共商区域防盲合作。全球眼健康市场正经历结构性增长，据世界卫生组织数据，西太地区仍有超过9000万视力受损人口，其中白内障和未矫正屈光不正是主要病因。中国作为区域医疗技术高地，在人工智能辅助筛查和低成本手术设备领域进展迅速，这为新西兰中小企业提供了潜在合作空间。

新西兰眼保健体系以初级卫生网络和远程医疗见长，尤其在糖尿病视网膜病变筛查方面积累了成熟经验，可探索向区域发展中国家输出服务模式。另一方面，会议聚焦的“技术赋能眼健康”议题，为新西兰医疗科技初创企业进入东南亚市场提供了渠道参考——通过参与区域多边合作框架，可降低单打独斗的市场准入成本。但需注意，中国与世卫组织合作项目的采购流程和标准认证体系与新西兰存在差异，中小企业需提前评估合规成本。

此次会议将“以人为本的综合眼保健服务”列为重点，意味着未来区域公共采购可能更倾向整体解决方案而非单一设备，新西兰企业可考虑与本地服务商联合投标。

关键词: 西太平洋地区眼健康会议, 广州, 中山大学中山眼科中心, 世界卫生组织, 防盲合作, 眼健康, 国际奥比斯, 弗雷德·霍洛基金会, 区域合作, 人类卫生健康共同体

Source: Sun Yat-sen University