Frequently asked questions
The Summit will take place in St Johns, Antigua and Barbuda.
2 November 2026.
The choice to host the Summit in Antigua and Barbuda highlights the importance of political leadership in eye health. The Rt Hon. Gaston Brown, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda and his Government have been a leading champion for eye health on the global stage, including being co-Chair of the UN Friends of Vision Group.
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.
While the solutions to eye health issues are often low-cost, the scale of the numbers without access requires high-level political will and action. The Summit is the first global platform designed to move eye health from a health silo into a core economic and development priority for Heads of State and Government.
The Summit will galvanize global action to end avoidable sight loss by securing high-level national commitments (policy goals, roadmaps, and financing) from governments, INGOS, NGOS, International Institutions and the private sector to accelerate progress toward universal eye health coverage.
No, the Summit is not replacing 2030 In Sight strategy. The Summit is a high-level advocacy event designed to accelerate and drive the delivery of the 2030 In Sight strategy’s aims—specifically by securing the political will and financial resources needed for transformational change at the national level.
2030 IN SIGHT LIVE is IAPB’s eye health sector-led event designed for IAPB members and others to share knowledge, network and strategize plans. The Global Summit is a political event for world leaders to secure the policy and funding needed to implement those solutions at scale.
Contact the IAPB Regional Chair or Coordinator. National activities and coalition building are tracked and driven at the regional level, often in partnership with local IAPB members.
It addresses the ”Implementation Gap”—the disconnect between existing medical solutions and the 1 billion people who still cannot access them due to lack of policy integration, workforce shortages, and sustainable financing.
The work continues! The outcomes of the Summit will establish a clear accountability framework and national roadmaps. Post-Summit activities will focus on monitoring and supporting countries and IAPB members in implementing their new commitments to ensure lasting change.
The “legacy” refers to the sustained national action achieved after the Summit, specifically the measurable increases in government investment, the creation of robust national eye health roadmaps, and stronger accountability mechanisms that ensure equitable access to eye care.
The Summit is a high-level, invite-only event that will primarily convene Heads of State/Government, Health Ministers, multilateral organisations, key partners, 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 Summit partners. There are no publicly available tickets. Key partners, including IAPB members, will be involved through focused engagement and delegations.
Invitations are extremely limited. Your CEO can liaise directly with the IAPB Global Summit team (communications@iapb.org) 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 (nparker@iapb.org) 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 (nparker@iapb.org). 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 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.
Submit a commitment.
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.
