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From the WGA Executive Office
Dear IGR readers,
With the expansion in vaccinations against COVID-19 and the availability of more effective treatments, there is hope that our global community is beginning to turn the corner in this deadly pandemic.
The World Glaucoma Association will continue to stand by your side as a resource for knowledge and education about the latest in glaucoma diagnostics and treatment. From March 7-13, we celebrated World Glaucoma Week. There were over 400 activities posted from around world related to this year’s World Glaucoma Week. Although many largescale screenings for glaucoma could not take place this year due to COVID-19, the WGA was able to help promote glaucoma awareness and advocacy through our social media channels, reaching ten of thousands of our physician, industry and patient members. In the years ahead, we look forward to returning to our successful worldwide screenings to help educate the public and prevent glaucoma-related vision loss.
The 9th World Glaucoma E-Congress 2021: Beyond Borders will take place from June 30-July 1, 2021. This year, the meeting will be all-virtual and hosted by the Japanese Glaucoma Society. There will be a Japanese theme for our many of the symposia and local Japanese flavor to our social programs. Registration is now open at worldglaucomacongress.org and the deadline for abstract submission is April 1, 2021 (Submit your abstract here). We hope you will join us online to interact with colleagues and get an update on recent research and clinical practices for the optimal management of your glaucoma patients.
Also join us for the 4th WGA Global Webinar on April 10, 2021. The topic is Medical Treatment of Glaucoma: Now and Next. Previous WGA Global Webinars have drawn thousands of viewers and we look forward to another great turnout for our line-up of worldwide experts on medical therapies for treating glaucoma.
Best wishes to all of you and your loved ones. We hope to see all of you in person in the not too distant future.
Get to know us
The WGA is an inspirational organization that is committed to improving glaucoma care in all parts of the world. Whether you are an active member of the WGA community or would simply like to become more involved, there are many opportunities to engage with the WGA to support its educational goals.
The WGA has offered much personal and professional growth at all stages of my career ‒ including now as Professor and Chief of Glaucoma at the University of Toronto. Early on, attending the World Glaucoma Congress and submitting research abstracts was an opportunity to present research findings, to interact with international colleagues, and to establish new connections and long-time friendships. I also began to organize activities to support glaucoma awareness through World Glaucoma Week and joined the WGA Patient Committee.
My continued interest in supporting WGA initiatives led to exciting engagement in WGA Consensus meetings, the International Glaucoma Review, and service roles that included Scientific Chair of the World Glaucoma Congress, Chair of the Global Outreach Committee, and Chair of the WGA African Initiative. In 2015, I joined the Executive Committee of the WGA as Officer of External Affairs. During this time, the WGA expanded its support to build glaucoma services where the need was greatest and did this through glaucoma fellowship training for colleagues from Sub-Saharan Africa. In 2019 I became President-Elect, and this year, began as Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Glaucoma, the official journal of the WGA.
The WGA is a rich and rewarding collaborative learning environment, committed to the pursuit of excellence in glaucoma care and discovery. My advice is to learn as much as possible, put out your hand and seize every opportunity to make a lasting and positive difference. Last but not least, enjoy a vibrant and inclusive culture filled with friendship and fun.
