Global Summit Hosts
The Global Summit for Eye Health is a testament to the power of international collaboration. By bringing together government leadership, global eye health expertise, and a unified civil society, this first of a kind summit aims to transform the way the world perceives and invests in sight.
Hosted by the Government of Antigua and Barbuda, the Summit occupies a strategic position on the global stage, taking place in the margins of the 2026 Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Supported by the technical expertise of the World Health Organization and the global network of the IAPB, this partnership is dedicated to proving that sight is not just a health issue, but a fundamental driver of economic growth and social equity. Together, we are working to ensure that the Value of Vision is recognised by every government, in every nation, for every citizen.
Host Country – Antigua and Barbuda
Antigua and Barbuda is a sovereign country in the Caribbean composed of Antigua, Barbuda and numerous small islands. In November 2026, the country will host the bi-annual Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting where leaders from the 56 Member States convene to discuss and promote shared values, development initiatives, and collaborative solutions to global challenges. In September 2025, Prime Minister Gaston Browne announced that the country will host the first Global Summit on Eye Health.
“This is not only a profound human challenge – it is an economic one. Because the evidence is clear: Expanding access to vision care would create millions of jobs, and unlock substantial gains in education, productivity and wellbeing. Investing in eye health is not charity. It is an investment in inclusive growth, resilience and shared prosperity – particularly for small states like Antigua and Barbuda.”
Technical Collaborator – World Health Organization
The Global Summit for Eye Health is in technical collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO). Speaking at the launch of the Summit in March 2026 Dévora Kestel, Director a.i., Noncommunicable Diseases and Mental Health/NMH of WHO, said “The agenda of eye care has gained significant momentum on the global health agenda in recent years, with the adoption of United Nations and World Health Assembly resolutions. The Global Summit on Eye Health provides an opportunity to support the translation of these global commitments into country action.”
The Commonwealth
The Global Summit for Eye Health will be held in the margins of the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting behing hosted by Antigua and Barbuda. The Commonwealth includes 56 member states with a population of 2.7 billion people.
Over the years the Commonwealth has made a number of longstanding commitments to eye health, from an aim to eliminate trachoma to child eye health initiatives advanced at CHOGM in Rwanda. The 2026 CHOGM will convene around trade, development and global cooperation, and therefore provides a great opportunity to position the importance of eye health within economic growth and human capital.
The International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness
As the voice of global eye health, IAPB is the overarching alliance of nearly 300 eye health organisations in over 100 countries working together to eliminate avoidable sight loss and build a world where everyone has universal access to quality eye care. Working with it’s members around the world IAPB is supporting the Government of Antigua and Barbuda as the secretariat for the Summit, ensuring eye health is a part of everyday healthcare, everywhere.
