IAPB BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING March 17-18, 2010 (Wednesday / Thursday) InterContinental Hotel, Cairo, Egypt DRAFT May 31, 2010 MINUTES Date & Time Venue1. March 17, 2010 (Wednesday) March 18, 2010 (Thursday) InterContinental Hotel 0900 - 1730 0900 - 1530 (March 17 – AlGawhara & March 18 – AlMontaza 3 & 4) Welcome C. Garms welcomed the members, special invitees and observers to the meeting. He informed the group of the apologies from the trustees and that Prof. Rabiul Husain was unable to join the meeting due to health concerns. He introduced Mr. Julian Metcalfe, IAPB’s new Director of Advocacy and thanked everyone and in particular Dr. Ala Alwan and Dr. Haifa Madi for joining the board of trustees meeting. He also expressed his gratitude on behalf of the board to His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz for hosting the meeting in Cairo and to Dr. Abdulaziz AlRajhi and his team for making all the arrangements. C. Garms congratulated the following IAPB members who received awards: Prof. Kovin Naidoo, received an award from the Alumni Association of the University of KwaZulu-Natal Standard Chartered Bank’s Seeing is Believing, recipient of the Award for Corporate Responsibility (The Financial Times ArcelorMittal Boldness in Business Awards) World Council of Optometry, recipient of the Friends of Canada Award Helen Keller International, awarded first prize for its “Sustainable Control of Onchocerciasis” programme in Africa (from AGFUND) Fred Hollows Foundation received the Gold Star Award for non-profit video advertising Merck, recipient of the IEF Peace and Vision Award He also announced that the Institute for Eye Research has been renamed as the Brien Holden Vision Institute and congratulated Prof. Brien Holden. 1.1 Adoption of the Agenda [attached] C. Garms explained that the sequence of the agenda items will be kept flexible and more time might be needed for policy and strategic discussions like the collaboration with WHO and the “Big Picture”. The board adopted the agenda of the meeting. The minutes follow the sequence of the agenda. 1.2 Minutes of the last meeting [attached] The Minutes of the last meeting was approved. 1.3 Matters Arising There were no matters arising that are not covered in the Agenda. 2. Opening Remarks from the Chairman C. Garms gave his opening remarks by reminding the board of Sir John Wilson the founder of IAPB. His dream was a world where nobody needs to be blind whose sight could be restored or whose blindness could have been prevented, a world without avoidable blindness. He said “VISION 2020: The Right to Sight” is Sir Jon Wilson’s dream with a deadline. The goal is to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020 and to ensure the establishment of sustainable eye care services as integrated parts of the health care system in all countries. A lot has been achieved since VISION 2020 was launched at WHO in 1999. Strategies to eliminate avoidable blindness had been developed. With the WHA resolutions in 2003 and 2006 the Member States had made a commitment to address prevention of blindness and to implement VISION 2020 strategies. Last year, the WHA 1/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes endorsed the WHO Action Plan for the elimination of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. With all these in place, we know what to do and how to do it and it is imperative that action should be taken. C. Garms stressed that only ten years are left and he recounted that from conversations with some IAPB members he had sensed that some might not believe anymore that the goals of VISION 2020 are achievable by that time. He urged the Trustees to remain focused on the development of sustainable eye care services for the prevention of blindness as a priority. He said: “We are not here to find excuses why we are unable to achieve the goals of VISION 2020, we are here to find ways to eliminate avoidable blindness by the year 2020.” And he expressed the hope that this meeting will be a step forward to make sure that a world without avoidable blindness will not remain just a dream. 3. Report from the CEO [attached] P. Ackland also thanked His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz for hosting the meeting and to Dr. AlRajhi and all the staff involved for their work in preparing this meeting. He referred to the paper on the CEO report and highlighted the following: The latest brochure and public version of the IAPB Strategic Plan was tabled, and is available for distribution by members. Preparation for the “Countdown to 2020”, planned for October 11, 2010 is going well. The event will cover achievements in the previous years and highlight actions for the coming years in order to reach the goals by 2020. It is hoped that through this event, IAPB and its members will be able to advocate and influence invited senior government policy makers and donors. An exhibition at the WHO building is planned. Planning is underway for the joint research workshop of ICO & IAPB which it is hoped will be cosponsored by WHO. R. Le Mesurier and J. Gersbeck have been discussing with AUSAID the WHO post in Manila, and once paperwork is completed in a few weeks, recruitment will commence. CBM are negotiating with WHO in New Delhi to second a person to the regional office with a focus on disability. Dr. Juan Carlos de Silva of PAHO and CBM had led the way to send a mission to work with the National Prevention of Blindness in Haiti to review eye health needs after the earthquake. SSI, ORBIS and CBM are financially supporting the mission. Subsequently there is a plan to have a stakeholder meeting during the third week of May in the Dominican Republic to review the outcome of the mission and agree a collaborative package of future support. J. Gersbeck and R. Le Mesurier have recruited an IAPB Regional Programme Manager for Western Pacific region who will start work on March 20. P. Ackland thanked all the IAPB staff for their hard work over the past six months. Issues raised and clarified were: In response to a question about what had happened to the idea of a supplement on VISION 2020 in the British Journal of Ophthalmology it was clarified that $80,000 from sponsorship was required before this could go ahead and this seemed unlikely to be found. An alternative if sponsorship cannot be secured is to produce in-house material for inclusion in the WOC delegates pack to be distributed in Berlin. It was suggested to also use this or produce a similar information sheet for distribution at the G8 summit. A video on VISION 2020 is being produced and will be shown at the opening ceremony of the WOC. ACTION: P. Ackland to follow up. 4. WHO Update 4.1 Collaboration of IAPB with WHO - Implementation of the Action Plan for the prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment Dr. Alwan stated that he is personally committed to promoting prevention of blindness and this area of work is under his supervision as Acting Director Chronic Disease and Health Promotion and Assistant Director General, Noncommunicable Disease and Mental Health. The adoption of the Action plan represents an unique opportunity to scale up the work in the area of prevention of avoidable blindness at the global level and accelerate the progress in achieving the goals of VISION 2020. The endorsement of the Action Plan by the 62nd WHA in May 2009 confirmed a strong interest of all the 193 WHO Member States in strengthening eye health globally, regionally and at national levels. 2/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes Dr Alwan presented on: 1) WHO priorities, opportunities and challenges for the implementation of the Action plan. WHO secretariat has been given a mandate by the Member States to lead the implementation of the Action plan. The PBD priorities are based on the WHO core functions - providing leadership, shaping research agenda, setting norms and standards and promoting and monitoring their implementation, articulating ethical and evidence-based policy options; providing technical support; monitoring health situation and assessing health trends. He cited examples based on the WHO core functions and the Action plan tasks. 2) WHO's long track record in the prevention of blindness dates back three decades, supported by a series of WHA resolutions which have been endorsed by the WHA since the 1960s. 3) Action plan presents a concrete roadmap on how to move forward. The Action Plan has been developed in close consultation with Member States, international partners and within the WHO Secretariat. A similar process has been used while developing the 2008-2013 Action Plan for the Global Strategy for the Prevention and Control of Noncommunicable Disease which was endorsed by the World Health Assembly in 2008. 4) Objectives of the Action Plan: (a) Strengthen advocacy to increase Member States' political, financial and technical commitment (b) Develop and strengthen national policies, plans and programmes for eye health and prevention of blindness and visual impairment (c) Increase and expand research for the prevention of blindness and visual impairment (d) Improve coordination between partnerships and stakeholders at national and international level (e) Monitor progress in elimination of avoidable blindness at national, regional and global levels. 5) Evidence based information must be further developed and make available, and adequate resources should be utilised to strengthen advocacy. It is understood that the donors are most interested in cost effective interventions which will allow for the provision of affordable, available and high-quality eye care services. 6) Some priorities that Member States are expected to address have been pointed out: (a) to establish a surveillance system as part of the national health information system (b) integrate eye care into national health care policies and health systems (c) to improve health care through cost effective interventions 7) Some of the key outcomes for the Action Plan are: (a) to secure political support and accord a higher priority to PBL (b) strengthen surveillance systems and global monitoring including assessing progress at the national level (c) strengthen national programmes and integration of eye health into health systems and development of poverty reduction initiatives (d) review international experience in PBL and disseminate lessons learned and document good practices (e) strengthen capacity and training in LMICs (f) develop a prioritised research agenda and strengthen capacity for epidemiological and HS research in LMICs (g) strengthen partnerships at global and national levels. 8) There are impediments or gaps that have to be recognised and addressed. Those also possess opportunities. There is a political momentum to ensure PBL is placed higher within health development efforts and there are examples of countries where there have been major accomplishments. For instance the EMRO region and the strong involvement of governments in India, Australia, China and Brazil. However gaps exists where low priority is given to PBL at country level and also there are gaps in the response, lack of priority within the international development community, and lack of adequate funding and fragmentation of initiatives. 9) Some development international agencies should focus more on incorporating preventable blindness into national health development plans; addressing the low level of global interest in the PBL, and further facilitate growing commitment of Member States. 10) Dr. Alwan explained that unless partners work closely with WHO, the PBD programme will continue to face major challenges in implementing the Action Plan. He explained how the resources allocation within WHO works and its implications on the WHO-Prevention of Blindness programme. He also explained the current situation in the PBL team which suffers from lack of funding and significant staff reductions. 11) He stressed the importance of working together and of having a strong partnership. WHO is planning a meeting to invite major stakeholders in the international eye health development agenda to support the implementation of the Action Plan, with clear definition of roles and responsibilities. This agenda cannot be completed by WHO alone and needs the involvement of partners. Discussions that followed addressed the following issues: There are two kinds of secondments with WHO: (1) Direct pay secondment arranged by a donor directly with a WHO staff member (2) Indirect pay secondment for which a donor channels the funding through WHO and the staff member is remunerated according to WHO rules, including 3/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes all privileges. While the former is not an option at the WHO HQ due to the recent changes in the legal requirements in Switzerland as a hosting country for WHO, the latter is now the only possibility for having a staff member funded by a donor. The cost effectiveness of eye health intervention needs to be further researched and evidenced. There will be two progress reports on the implementation of the Action Plan provided by WHO to the WHA. Development of an advocacy plan to support the implementation of the Action Plan will be pursued in the upcoming months. The Action Plan should also encourage international partners in further mobilisation of resources and remind Member States of their commitment. Major global public health issues are assessed regularly by WHO, and publications produced periodically - this helps to motivate Member States. For instance, Dr. Alwan shared his experience in the tobacco control agenda, it helps to show and demonstrate the progress Member States are making. The Action Plan should be reflected in the regional and national activities. Further involvement of international organisations such as World Bank and development agencies would be most welcome. It is expected the regional implementation of the Action Plan will result in the development of expanded partnerships. Unfortunately some development agencies and donors have not demonstrated adequate enthusiasm in supporting prevention of avoidable blindness and visual impairment. Later this year, WHO will come up with the new estimates on the prevalence of blindness and visual impairment. It is important to demonstrate links between the economic arguments showing the cost effectiveness of eye health interventions and their impact leading to social economic improvements. To strengthen PBD programme, a funding gap of approximately USD 1.8 million needs to be covered for this biennium. The staff members who have recently left the programme due to funding constraints need to be urgently replaced in order to secure the capacity of the team to implement the Action Plan. Minimum two professional staff members should be recruited and the assistance of international members in this respect would be most appreciated. In addition to that, additional funds are required for activities and implementation of the Action Plan. Dr. Alwan added that the Action Plan provides a roadmap and vision for the joint activities for the next period. However, the WHO credibility and capacity for the prevention of blindness need to be strengthened. WHO relies on international partners for jointly addressing those needs. Fragmentation of activities have to be overcome and it is a priority that everyone is guided to work in harmony towards the objectives of the Action Plan. Implementation of the Action Plan by WHO alone would not sufficiently address the needs. Roles and responsibilities have to be identified so that there is one shared joint framework for action to implement the Action Plan. A stakeholders meeting is planned in the coming months and interested agencies will be invited to take part. It is hoped that through this meeting, WHO and IAPB will be able to convince development agencies on the areas of work that require more investments. Dr. Alwan expressed that he is pleased with the discussion and enjoyed input and comments from the trustees. He looked forward to working closely with IAPB and its members. ACTION: P. Ackland to follow up on the materials for the various meetings and support for WHO. 4.2 Update on the WHO PBD Activities and Global Blindness Data [Tabled: Resolutions and Decisions Annexes from May 18 – 22, 2009 WHA in Geneva (Appendix 1)] I. Kocur reported on the status of availability of prevalence of blindness data in Member States. Where data is available, they are analysed and compiled by PBD in a concise and organised way. The database of available data is continuously updated by PBD. New model has been under development to provide estimates for the geographical areas for which no epidemiological data has been available. The new model is being tested and the plan is that the estimates will be available by June or July for members who need the data for their publication under embargo. Data will be ready for the public by September. He explained that the accuracy of the future estimates would benefit from additional population based prevalence studies. Some of the examples are Egypt, central and eastern part of Europe (e.g. Poland, Turkey, Russian Federation), in South East Asia and Western Pacific, Thailand, Indonesia and Philippines may be considered. Larger studies in Mexico and Brazil would be most valuable to bring more representative information at national levels. Tanzania, Senegal or Mali may be 4/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes considered to bring more representative information on African region. WHO is ready to advise on the geographic areas for which a population based prevalence study should be considered. Trustees suggested that it would be most helpful if the new estimates could be available for the World Ophthalmology Congress in June this year, however, it has been recognised that it may not be feasible this time. The Resolutions and Decisions including Annexes from the Sixty-Second World Health Assembly in Geneva last May 18-22, 2009 can be downloaded from this link: http://apps.who.int/gb/ebwha/pdf_files/WHA62-REC1/WHA62_REC1-en.pdf The final resolutions of the WHA 62.1 Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment is on page 1 and the Annexes, Action Plan for the Prevention of Avoidable Blindness and Visual Impairment is on p. 37. 5. Welcome Address 5.1 Address by HRH Prince Abdulaziz (presented after Agenda 3, Report from the CEO) HRH Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud welcomed everyone to EMR region and particularly to Cairo. He reminded the group of when the initiative was signed in Geneva and since then, there have been impressive advances in PBL and the numbers have been revised according to the new data and the inclusion of additional causes of Visual Impairment. As a result of the recent WHA resolutions global awareness of this initiative has improved. He hoped that IAPB and its members will move on forward and work hard to complete the tasks and goals of eradicating the avoidable causes of global blindness before 2020. More can be achieved because of the expertise that is available among IAPB members, advisers and supporters. He also shared that there are some countries where the majority of the population cannot afford the cost of cataract surgery even when it’s as low as $30 and he urged IAPB members to continue their efforts to support them. He also requested that IAPB continues to monitor its progress using its annual reports on PB activities and the achievements made. He wished for a successful meeting and invited the group to enjoy their visit to Cairo. C. Garms thanked HRH Prince Abdulaziz and wished him the best. 5.2 Address by Dr. Hussein Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for EMR [Appendix 2: Message from Dr. Hussein A. Gezairy] (presented after Agenda 1, Welcome) Dr. Gezairy was not able to attend the meeting and Dr. Haifa Madi, Director of Health Protection and Promotions presented on behalf of Dr. Gezairy. The full speech is attached in the Appendix 2. 6. IAPB Income Generation Strategy [attached] P. Ackland summarised the content and the recommendations of the attached paper and the board in principle accepted the proposals whilst emphasising that priority should be given to bilateral government funding. The Board agreed to use the Brien Holden Vision Institute funds to recruit two new staff members. Discussions include: IAPB should proactively fundraise for $5 million to run its operation and to advocate for mobilising financial resources for the elimination of avoidable blindness (the “Big Picture”) To review further what services could be offered to the membership which may generate further income for IAPB There are huge opportunities around governments and this should be a priority. RESOLUTION: To accept the proposals presented by and to use the funds from the Brien Holden Vision Institute to recruit additional staff. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. 7. IAPB Operational Plan [attached: 2009 l 2010] P. Ackland presented the Operational Plan and highlighted areas requiring additional funds: 5/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes BJO Supplement will only proceed if sponsorship is secured. A small group is planned to produce guidelines and a toolkit that looks at VISION 2020 programming from a health systems strengthening viewpoint. Recruitment of an IAPB regional coordinator in SEAR which is possible only with additional funding. C. Garms confirmed that the operational plan presented at each board meeting will be a tool to track and monitor the performance of the Executive team. The Chairman’s Committee will regularly monitor the progress through the updated operational plan. 8. Finance 8.1 Trustees Annual Report and Financial Statements for 2009 [attached: Audit Report l Letter of Representation l Post Audit Report] A. Poffley, Treasurer, guided the Board through the component parts of the statutory accounts for 2009, namely the Trustees’ Annual Report, the Independent Auditors’ Report, the Financial Statements, and Notes. These had been reviewed at a joint session of the Audit and Finance Committees. Within the Trustees’ Report he referred to the objectives and plans based on the new strategic plan, the reserves policy, and the investment policy. Referring to the Statement of Financial Activities for 2009, A. Poffley noted that the charity had again been exposed to significant exchange rate movements. He reported that discussions were in progress with Standard Chartered Bank to convert all holdings to USD. In addition the Finance Committee was currently reviewing the wider issue of foreign exchange management, particularly how to mitigate the risk of currency fluctuations, and would be reporting back to the Board at its next meeting in October 2010. One Board member sought clarification of the expenditure profile of IAPB by currency. A. Poffley also advised the Board on the purpose and content of the Letter of Representation, which was also tabled for trustee approval. The Chairman of the Audit Committee, R. Chappell, advised the board that the Post-Audit Report received by the committee on its behalf included mostly minor issues. He reported that five trustees’ Declaration of Interests had not been received. R. Chappell also reported that the Audit Committee had agreed to complete a tendering of IAPB’s external audit contract in time to make a recommendation to the Board at its next meeting, and the Council of Members at the forthcoming AGM. Both meetings are scheduled to be held in October. RESOLUTION: The Board of Trustees approves the 2009 Annual Report and Financial Statements and authorises A. Poffley to sign the Report and Statements on its behalf together with the Letter of Representation. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. A. Poffley and C. Garms both expressed thanks to T. Morris and Ms. Blandine Labry for the significant improvements in the financial systems of IAPB which, amongst other things, had enabled the 2009 audit to be completed in time to be tabled at this meeting. 8.2 Budget for 2010 [attached] Covered in 8.3 below. 8.3 Financial Report (up to date) 2010 [attached] A. Poffley referred to the Finance Report and 2010 Budget documents tabled. In particular he reported that income projections are prudent, with all income included secure with the exception of those specific income items highlighted. He noted the increasing reliance on restricted income. On the expenditure side, he noted the increased expenditure anticipated for regions. A. Poffley also noted that IAPB was still not able to fully cover its core costs from unrestricted funds and, as a result, reserves balances were expected to fall. The level of reserves projected at the end of the year would, nevertheless, be in line with the reserves policy. He anticipated revising the projections as assumptions about income and expenditure change and intended to table an updated forecast in October. He also noted that changes might helpfully be made to the format of financial information presented to the Board. He advised the Board that their role in relation to this agenda item was to assure themselves that IAPB continued to live within its means and that its planned expenditure was aligned to the agreed strategic priorities. 6/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes Board members raised questions about the funding arrangements for particular positions. The discontinuance of some positions within the WHO PBD unit was also noted, as was the need for $1.5m over two years to enable the unit to restore its former staffing capacity. 9. Regional Reports and Plans 9.1 Regional Reports on Achievements [attached: Africa l EMR l Europe l L.A. l N.A. l SEA l W. Pacific] In addition to the Reports on Achievements, the Regional Chairs highlighted the following issues: Africa D. Haddad stated that the Durban meeting had looked at possibilities to approach AUSAID and other potential big donors to fund a similar proposal for Africa to the Australian Blindness Initiative for the Pacific. P. Ackland reported that the exciting news from the recent onchocerciasis meeting he had attended in APOC was that in some Africa foci, there is no new incidence of blindness due to onchocerciasis and elimination is a possibility in some parts of Africa. NGOs were asked to continue their support to make it a reality. J. Trimmel informed the board that the national prevention of blindness plan for Burkina Faso was signed, and a national planning workshop for its implementation was held in March, 2010. A national committee will be set up. Eastern Mediterranean His Royal Highness Prince Abdulaziz Al Saud noted that the region has submitted a written progress report of its activities, however he wanted to stress the organisation of a leadership development course for the National Coordinators of PB in the region that will take place in May of this year in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Also, arrangements are underway for a regional workshop in collaboration with WHO-EMRO by the end of the year. V. Klauss commended HRH Prince Abdulaziz for his support for activities in Africa and expressed his gratitude. HRH also announced that the EMR region, supported by IMPACT-EMR and PBU, has developed and published its “Guidelines for School Eye Health for the Eastern Mediterranean Region (EMR)”. Printed copies were distributed and extra copies of the booklet are available by request. Also available electronically from the MEACO website: http://www.meaco.org/page.php?mdid=32. Europe V. Klauss reported that their greatest need is a regional coordinator. In collaboration with ICO and SOE, they are trying to create guidelines to standardise the training programmes. It is a challenge to come to a common approach across 26 countries but he hoped to overcome that over time. Latin America R. Duerksen reported that there is only one country that does not have a national committee. They are now looking at studies around the region. VISION 2020 Latin America organises subcommittees such as Low Vision, Refractive Error, etc. and all these are very active in itself. ORBIS and CBM are helping them with standardising the guidelines in the region. Lions Clubs is very actively involved in the region and it is very encouraging to see a coalition of NGOs working in the same region with new organisations coming into the area. North America P. Ferguson referred to her report and stated that CBM lost some of their staff in Haiti and more on the Haiti earthquake will be covered under the Haiti agenda. South East Asia C. Garms explained that R. Husain was unable to join the meeting due to health concerns and that the report of that region is included in the board documents. Western Pacific R. Le Mesurier reported about the appointment of the new IAPB regional programme manager and that it remains to be seen whether they are getting a P5 level person at the WHO Regional Office. He stressed the importance of making personal contacts but expressed confidence that they are now better off in terms of infrastructure and assistance. PBL funding by government has started across the region e.g. in Vietnam and Solomon Islands. 7/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes R. Chappell noted that mention of optometry and refractive error is very limited in all the reports. 9.2 Regional Plans, The Big Picture Resources needed globally to eliminate avoidable blindness & visual impairment [Tabled: World Bank Executive Directors and Alternates (Appendix 3)] H. Taylor presented on the importance of the satellite view to achieving the goals of VISION 2020 by the year 2020 and he estimated that at least $4-5 Billion will be required over the next ten years. He stressed that planning has to expand and that it is important not to waste time. IAPB must rethink, refocus and take the experience of VISION 2020 Australia as an example. IAPB should develop justified estimates for each region on what will be required, should put together a clear case for support and should focus on development agencies, governments, the EU and similar financial potential organisations. What IAPB must do is: Focus full attention to the Big Picture Develop high-level plans for Africa, Eastern Mediterranean, Latin America, Eastern Europe and South East Asia Develop advocacy and documents to support the plans Address the World Bank, EU, USAUD, DIFID, etc. As part of the ensuing discussion, the following points were raised: The mindset of the EU is different from the Australian government - it is more resistant to investing in global funds or vertical intervention. Although additional elements are possible in bringing support and political priorities that could be linked to e.g. UNDP. Experience with DFID shows that they are interested only in development organisations and in UK, the political parties cannot win an election by having the message that they are funding blindness in Africa due to the deficit in UK. Alignment of VISION 2020 with donors’ strategies and trying to sell VISION 2020 as the perfect model for implementing various declarations on aid effectiveness needs more work. Recipe for success differs from one country to another Timing is very important. Recipe for success for Australia is that: VISION 2020 Australia has earned a reputation because of the united front of its members and when they approached the government, it was the right timing and disability was one of the issues of the opposition. One of the agenda items in the G8 meeting in Toronto is healthcare, and it might be possible for the Australia representatives through IAPB and VISION 2020 Australia to pursue this in the meeting. Approaches may be different but big plans and budgets are necessary. H. Taylor stated that IAPB has the advantage of having the strong interest and support of the Australian government and the links from A. Poffley with the World Bank. A plan, proposition or message is necessary to present to the right contacts. On the evaluation of the first phase of the Australian support, H. Taylor confirmed that there is a monitoring programme in place. J. Gersbeck added that there will be a preliminary report by August 2010 and the first report will be available by March 2011. For the election year, they are planning for a second proposal and also undertaking an extensive communications strategy, gathering information, case studies and qualitative data to demonstrate quickly that the funds are making a difference. Three ad hoc groups were formed to further discuss these issues and the reports from the groups on the necessary steps required for the big plans are summarised as follows: Group 1, presented by K. Spahn: Work on parallel tracks (1) Donors – identify and prioritise who to approach and devote energy on which buttons to push (2) Local involvement – pick a few countries in each region where national governments are committed at some level and where there are enthusiastic committed people, who would be willing to do it. Phase 1 – PILOT: Map these countries against donor priority countries. Select best matches that would enable us to reach a tipping point. Involve the countries in the planning process, with a focus on integrating eye health into community health. IAPB should then compile an overall plan, based on country input and play the role of facilitator, opening the door for lead countries to go in. 8/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes Plan/proposals should approach this from the development angle, stress local ownership, partnership, aid effectiveness, and health systems improvement. And should note the positive effect of eye health on poverty, education and other agendas. Convey the message to donors that we are handing them a success. Phase 2 – REPLICATION. Document successful model and replicate. Group 2, presented by W. Felch: IAPB should define the process, identify who the stakeholders are and get them together as one voice; Look at baseline data and identify where the gaps are in the prevention of avoidable blindness and have eye care integrated with healthcare; add up the required funds of country and translate them into regional funds Convert them into strategy to become targets for funders & messages for audiences. Group 3, presented by P. Ackland: The group focused on World Bank and noted that the World Bank’s focus is on low and middle income countries – not necessarily by our regional based approach. The presentation should therefore be in a way that fits into their agenda. A best guess of the costing for each country is necessary to have a general picture. The initial message should be at the top level – two of the top five leaders in the World Bank are Nigerians and perhaps it might be good to have people connected to them to work on that and help with the planning process. Although the LVPEI inspired pyramid structure is fine, the diagram may give the wrong impression that it is a vertical programme. Redesigning of the diagram is suggested. Other comments included: Many national plans are available and many have the budget that can be used or added. Once costing is available, the way the material is packaged will depend on the donor that IAPB or its members are approaching. Whether the L.V. Prasad’s diagram should still be used and how applicable it is in most places. The concept is to have an infrastructure addressing community healthcare and community eye care and to make them an integral part of it. Reference to tertiary centres is a good concept and is more or less necessary in the regions. The pyramid diagram may not be the best from a marketing viewpoint because it gives the impression of vertical system without integration but the concept is correct and it has to be an integrated part of the healthcare system at all levels. Caution against using the pyramid because there is not yet sufficient evidence that it is working in Africa - the rich paying for the poor may not be applicable for countries with health insurance schemes and may antagonise some people. There is an important meeting at the World Bank on April 24-25, 2010 to develop a three-year budget. There is a sense of urgency to get the VISION 2020 message heard at the meeting and IAPB should produce documentation and information with current country plans, status, gaps, etc. and integrating these big picture and costing. Two approaches are possible: (1) high level political approach such as through Mr. Bob McMullan (2) longer term technical detail, by getting the message across to the administrators. Another meeting will take place in spring, and all 180+ members of the World Bank will be represented. ACTION: P. Ackland and J. Metcalfe to prepare a top level briefing note for the World Bank meeting on April 24-25, 2010 and subsequently a more detailed document with the big picture in it. P. Ackland to advise IAPB members on how they should brief their country representatives or Finance Ministers attending the World Bank meeting. Trustees are tasked to get in touch with people on the World Bank list (Appendix 3). 10. Programme Committees and Discussion Groups [attached] P. Ackland reported that comments from the chairs and co-chairs of the existing Programme Committees and Discussion Groups on the proposed structure had been in general positive. He made an amendment to his paper and proposed to have one Programme Committee and two permanent working groups for Technology and Human Resources plus task orientated working groups that will focus upon particular issues identified by the programme committee. The proposal to run seminars at the Council meeting had been warmly welcomed by the respondents. He stressed that the whole essence of the proposed changes are to promote member involvement in IAPB but at the same time ensure that programme priorities are pushed ahead. 9/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes In the ensuing discussion it was suggested that the structure proposed should serve IAPB as well as the needs of the members. Another idea was that an online tool or forum should be developed whereby members can bring initiative and discuss issues. RESOLUTION: To have one programme committee and two permanent working groups (Human Resources and Technology) and several working groups as proposed. In favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. 11. Resource Mobilisation for VISION 2020 Programmes 11.1 Eye Fund & Capacity Building Grant Fund Eye Fund D. Green reported that the Eye Fund is finally closed on January 27, 2010 after 3-1/2 years. The following investments were made: Eye Foundation Hospital (Nigeria) - $7 Million for building and equipment Fundacion Vision (Paraguay) - $ 250,000 for construction of a new building He Eye Hospital (China) - $7 Million to expand capacity and new facilities Two potential loan recipients had pulled out after funds were raised, necessitating a new financial model and approval of the investors, thereby delaying the closing of the Eye Fund. Other delays included lingering regulatory issues in China and documentation issues in Nigeria. Risk has been reduced because Deutsche Bank is willing to absorb some of the risk. He reported that there is a possibility for an Eye Fund 2 with larger and more diverse investments that is more regionally focused. Capacity Building Grant Fund $1.55 Million has been raised from three donors (FMO, Lavelle, Goodman Family Foundation) to support capacity building grants to strengthen training centres and programmes for sustainable planning, including the three Eye Fund loan recipients. The fund is not intended for capital expenses but for training purposes. D. Green is working with L.V. Prasad and LAICO to identify likely grantees and plans are underway to interact with IAPB Membership and CBG Institutions for applications to the CBG Fund. Deadline will be in two months time and hopefully by June, all proposals will be in. D. Green also reported that a tool has been developed where an online survey will be sent to potential borrowers and participants which enable the institutions to be ranked based on their credit worthiness, social mission and social metrics, etc. This tool will be used to identify and review potential future loan or grant recipients. A few observations made by D. Green included: The Eye Fund is the only example of social investing fund that is outside of microfinance and outside of affordable housing. Globally people are willing to invest in microfinance in the social investment arena. What we are seeking to accomplish here is rather unique e.g. health related fund Precedent of eye fund and its success will help future funds The eye fund and its related capacity building grant fund is so unique that IAPB should be using it to distinguish itself for fundraising especially if IAPB is going after government funds/ bilateral governments. Possibilities for venture models in transforming eye care service delivery. There are other groups like L.V. Prasad and Al Noor who have a proven model and who want to scale it up. IAPB can help structure the finance and work with them to craft proposals, with the right type of financing, equity or fund. C. Garms informed the group that he has been involved and has witnessed the amount of work and effort D. Green put into the Eye Fund and Capacity Building Grant Fund. He commended D. Green for his hard work, persistence and for overcoming the obstacles in establishing the Eye Fund. RESOLUTION: To appoint P. Ferguson as Chair of the Capacity Building Grant Committee. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. 10/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes 11.2 Standard Chartered “Seeing is Believing” J. Conlon reported that as part of phase 4 there are 13 projects approved across the globe spanning Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Peru, Brazil, etc. and 9 projects under consideration in Indonesia, Jordan, Nigeria, Pakistan and Ghana. The Bank is happy with the way projects are progressing and partnership in place in the ground with implementing partners and ground staff. The “Seeing is Believing” has $4 Million in the bank with $2.5 Million pledged and is in a financially good position. Cashflow is positive and the latest projection for the fundraising is to raise an extra $12.5 Million. For Phase 5 of the “Seeing is Believing” project, she had conversations with P. Ackland and others involved in Phase 3 and 4 and anticipate that the Phase 5 will not be launched until 2011 after fundraising for Phase 4 is completed. Key theme for Phase 5 is not yet determined and more updates will be available in the next board meeting. The Bank has been working on the “Seeing is Believing” project for the past seven years and it has become an integral part of the bank’s work that transcends geographical and departmental boundaries. The senior management takes the programme seriously and is passionate about “Seeing is Believing”. The Bank was considering the possibility of inviting non competitive corporate partners into the “Seeing is Believing” project as part of a possible syndicate approach to phase 5.. She added that they have recently invested in the international business leadership forum, and the forum carried on their behalf a study on how Standard Chartered Bank works with IAPB. A link to this report is available for members to read and use for dealing with their corporate partners (http://www.seeingisbelieving.org.uk/about-us/latest-news/seeing-is-believing-held-best-practiceexample-public-private-partnership). 11.3 Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) (presented after Agenda 8: Finance) B. Holden presented on the OGS and reported that the funding campaign “Yes today for a better tomorrow” was very successful. $1.1 million has been dispersed and the organisation plans to increase donations in 2010. It is also imperative that the level of support needed from the Brien Holden Vision Institute to cover the core costs of OGS is greatly reduced over the next two years. 12. Addressing Cataract Blindness [attached] M. Thazhathu presented a proposition for a cataract surgical simulator that will help address and focus on eliminating cataract blindness worldwide. The project would cost $18 Million and a third of that has already been committed by ORBIS. ORBIS also proposes to invest a further $25 Million (pending approval by the ORBIS board) to invest in fundraising for the implementation of the plan. He proposed for the plan to be a joint effort and hoped that a taskforce could be formalised and invited other NGOs to join and guide ORBIS in designing this programme. Comments and concerns raised by the board include: Targeted people or those that are being trained should have a medical background This must be integrated into health services Local partners and governments must be involved This has to be fitted into the overall HR strategy Effort in training of cataract surgeons has not been successful in the past in terms of outcome Simulators could help with improving the quality of surgery Potential for this plan to contribute to the prevention of cataract blindness, but further consideration is required on how to integrate this into existing prevention of blindness programmes ACTION: H. Taylor and P. Ackland to prepare response from IAPB. 13. Governance 13.1 Membership Update [attached] P. Ackland referred to the paper and updated the board on the current membership status. He also explained that in the case of Bright Eye and Aier Group, the Chairman’s Committee discussed at length the principles, and although the rules are slightly vague, it was decided that the intention was that Groups A-C should be for non-profit organisations. Therefore a letter had been sent to Bright Eye recommending them to re-apply under Groups D or E; and another letter to Aier Group asking 11/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes them for confirmation as to the nature of their business. No replies have been received from them so far. 13.2 New and Resigned Members / Trustees [attached] New Members: Group B Member: Project Vision, Hong Kong Group C Member: Heart to Heart Foundation, South Korea Group C Member: CCB-Eye Care Caribbean, West Indies RESOLUTION: To accept the above organisations as IAPB members. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. Change in membership levels: Lighthouse International – From Group B to Group C Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) – From Group C to Group A P. Ackland noted that AIOS has discontinued their Group C membership level but he will try to persuade them to stay on. Appointment of New Trustees: Mr. Stephen King from Royal National Institute of the Blind (RNIB) RESOLUTION: Mr. Stephen King to become IAPB Trustee. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. 13.3 Governance & Membership Structure [attached] C. Garms referred to the paper and the board agreed with the recommendation on minor updates in consultation with the lawyer. Article 8.2 will be kept as is. On succession & continuity, the length of a trustee’s term was discussed and the following points raised: Good governance if a trustee’s term is limited Group A representatives to the board are currently limited to two terms – this may present a practical difficulty as NGOs may not be willing to send anyone but the CEO to represent them on the Board. CEO’s in general have a turnover of less than 12 years It was suggested to change the constitution from two terms to three terms maximum. RESOLUTION: To extend the trustee’s term from two terms to three terms. In Favour 18, Against 5, Abstentions 2. RESOLUTION: To form a small working group to study the membership structure and present with proposals for approval in the next meeting. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. It was suggested that the Constitution, in particular with reference to Committees, should be reviewed with a view to making it “enabling” rather than “restrictive”. ACTION: C. Garms to form a small working group to review the membership structure for approval by the board in the next meeting. He will also consult with lawyers on the changes. 14. Advocacy & Public Relations 14.1 Advocacy Report [Tabled: IAPB folder with the Strategic Plan (Appendix 4)] B. Doolan welcomed the appointment of J. Metcalfe and reported the following on behalf of the Advocacy & P.R. Committee: 12/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes A number of meetings had been identified by the Committee which required an IAPB or membership presence to raise the profile of VISION 2020 beyond the ophthalmology and optometry professions and to ensure it was mainstreamed into broader development agendas. Efforts around the “Countdown to 2020” event to be held in Geneva are being coordinated by the IAPB office. The advocacy committee had discussed how the key bilateral donors may be encouraged to attend. A promotional leaflet focussing upon VISION 2020 will be prepared and used at key meetings like the upcoming G20 meeting. The theme of the 2010 WSD will be discussed in the coming months and the advocacy committee will report back to the board in October with their recommendation. The committee had requested P. Ackland to provide indicators to measure impact and efforts of IAPB’s advocacy strategy. The board emphasised that global prevalence of blindness figures should be those used by WHO and consistently used in all our publications. P. Ackland confirmed that the new prevalence data will be available in June/July 2010. ACTION: P. Ackland to follow up. 14.2 World Sight Day (WSD) P. Ackland reported that the World Sight Day report will be an updated version of The State of the World’s Sight report published in 2005. It will include success stories on disease control and prevention and also the advocacy work which had culminated in the adoption of the WHO Action Plan. A. Smith will be contacting people soon to write the various chapters. ACTION: P. Ackland to follow up. 14.3 Others No other business under Advocacy and Public Relations. 15. Future Events and Meetings 15.1 Ten Year Anniversary The “Countdown to 2020” event was discussed and trustees expressed the following concerns: The amount of effort and time required to raise the additional sponsorship money given that it is not yet completely secured (only $50K of the required $250 is secured) at this stage. Advocacy success depends on getting high level potential donors and decision makers to the meeting and concerns were raised that these people may not even attend the event Suggested possible alternative locations After consideration of all the concerns by the trustees, P. Ackland will continue with the planning of the event but alternative options will be sought if the required sponsorship is not secured by the end of April. Other possibilities may include a small scale event and a press conference at the WHO offices. ACTION: P. Ackland to follow up. An idea was suggested to combine the planned WHO stakeholder conference for the implementation of the Action Plan with the event. IAPB will also prepare a briefing paper for the WHO stakeholder meeting. ACTION: C. Garms to check with Dr. Alwan if this is feasible. P. Ackland to prepare the paper. 15.2 WOC 2010 P. Ackland reported that the VISION 2020 video to be presented at the WOC will be in two parts: 4-1/2 minutes will be a general introduction of the achievements of VISION 2020 and what needs to be done in the future 30 seconds on the contribution of the ophthalmology profession to VISION 2020. 13/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes Videos will be made available to members for their promotional purposes. P. Ackland thanked ICO for their generous offer to show the video at the WOC and to ORBIS and other members who had kindly offered footage for the video. ACTION: P. Ackland to follow up. 15.3 Next Board of Trustees & Council of Members Meetings [attached] C. Garms recommended the third week of March and September 2011 for the next board and board/council meetings. He suggested the following arrangements: March meeting (Mon/Tue – Board Committees; Wed/Thu – Board of Trustees) and September meeting (Mon – Board Committees; Tue – Board of Trustees; Wed – Programme Committees; Thu/Fri – Council and AGM) Location for the 2011 meetings will be confirmed. ACTION: C. Garms and P. Ackland to follow up. 15.4 General Assembly 2012 [attached] C. Garms referred to the attached paper with detailed evaluation of countries in the South East Asia Region. R. Husain had withdrawn his offer to host the General Assembly in Bangladesh due to health reasons. The Board discussed the pros and cons of the shortlisted countries in particular India (Hyderabad) and Thailand (Bangkok) which included: Impact in the country and the region Risk and return of having the General Assembly Visa issues Accessibility and flight transfers Probability of having high level government officials As some members had left the meeting already and in order to give everyone a chance to vote, the trustees proposed to have an electronic vote to include all trustees in the decision making process of this agenda item. RESOLUTION: To have a secret ballot on the location of the General Assembly 2012. In Favour 4, Against 18, Abstentions 3. RESOLUTION: To ask all trustees to vote electronically on the location – Hyderabad or Thailand. In Favour 22, Against 3, Abstentions 0. RESOLUTION: To authorise P. Ackland and C. Garms in consultation with the Chairman’s Committee to appoint Chairs for the General Assembly’s Programme and Organising Committees and subsequently members of these committees. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. RESOLUTION: To set the third week of September of 2012 for the next General Assembly. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. 16. Any Other Business 16.1 Update on Haiti [Tabled: ToR, Reconstruction of Eye Care Service in Haiti (Appendix 5)] P. Ackland circulated the terms of reference of the mission going to Haiti to support the needs assessment. He confirmed that a team is going to Haiti on April 12-17 to develop plans for reconstruction of eye health services following the earthquake. Arrangements are in place for a meeting in the Dominican Republic in May and all NGOs interested in supporting the reconstruction efforts in Haiti are encouraged to attend. Members will be kept informed about the meeting. 14/17 March 17-18, 2010 IAPB Board of Trustees Meeting Minutes 16.2 Technology and Refractive Error Committee Papers [attached] The report was well received and appreciated by the board. Position papers for other areas of work should be developed as required. Members are urged to send any feedback or detailed comments to P. Ackland so that the papers can be finalised and presented to the next BOT for endorsement. 16.3 IAPB Members’ Contact Information The board discussed and decided that only the general e-mail addresses should be given to others. RESOLUTION: IAPB members to provide their general e-mail addresses and that only this information is to be given by the IAPB Secretariat if requested. In Favour 25, Against 0, Abstentions 0. 16.4 Any Other Business A. AlRajhi suggested that more time should be allocated to governance such as the Memorandum & Articles and Byelaws. There being no other business, the meeting adjourned on March 18, 2010 at 1540 Cairo Time. 15/17 IAPB BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING MARCH 17-18, 2010 AGENDA ITEM 1.1 : ADOPTION OF THE AGENDA AGENDA MARCH 17, 2010 [WEDNESDAY] BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING Time Topic 0900 – 0920 1. Welcome 1.1 Adoption of the Agenda [attached] 1.2 Minutes of the last meeting [attached] 1.3 Matters Arising 0920 – 0930 2. Opening Remarks from the Chairman 0930 – 0950 3. Report from the CEO [attached] 0950 – 1040 4. WHO Update 4.1 Collaboration of IAPB with WHO - Implementation of the Action Plan [PPT] 4.2 Update on the WHO PBD Activities and Global Blindness Data [PPT] 1040 – 1110 BREAK 1110 – 1130 5. Welcome Address 5.1 Address by HRH Prince Abdulaziz 5.2 Address by Dr. Hussein Gezairy, WHO Regional Director for EMR 1130 – 1230 6. IAPB Income Generation Strategy [attached] 1230 – 1400 LUNCH 1400 – 1430 7. IAPB Operational Plan [attached: 2009 l 2010] 1430 – 1500 8. Finance 8.1 Audit Report for 2009 [attached: Audit Report l Letter of Representation l Post Audit Report] 8.2 Budget for 2010 [attached] 8.3 Financial Report (up to date) 2010 [attached] 1500 – 1530 9. Regional Reports and Plans 9.1 Report by Regional Chair on Achievements [attached: Africa l EMR l Europe l L.A. l N.A. l SEA l W. Pacific] 1530 – 1600 BREAK 1600 – 1730 9.2 Regional Plans, The Big Picture [PPT] Resources needed globally to eliminate avoidable blindness & visual impairment By C. Garms C. Garms P. Ackland Dr. Ala Alwan I. Kocur HRH Prince Dr. H. Gezairy P. Ackland P. Ackland A. Poffley / T. Morris Reg. Chairs H. Taylor MARCH 18, 2010 [THURSDAY] BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING Time Topic 0900 – 0945 10. Programme Committees and Discussion Groups [attached] 0945 – 1015 11. Resource Mobilisation for VISION 2020 Programmes 11.1 Eye Fund & Capacity Building Grant Fund 11.2 Standard Chartered “Seeing is Believing” 11.3 Optometry Giving Sight (OGS) 1015 – 1030 12. Addressing Cataract Blindness [attached] 1030 – 1100 BREAK 1100 – 1130 13. Governance 13.1 Membership Update [attached] 13.2 New and Resigned Members / Trustees [attached] 13.3 Governance & Membership Structure [attached] 1130 – 1150 14. Advocacy & Public Relations 14.1 Advocacy Report 14.2 World Sight Day (WSD) 14.3 Others 1150 – 1230 15. Future Events and Meetings 15.1 Ten Year Anniversary 15.2 WOC 2010 15.3 Next Board of Trustees & Council of Members Meetings [attached] 1230 – 1400 LUNCH 1400 – 1430 15.4 General Assembly 2012 [attached] Time and location Appointment of chairs for Programme and Organising Committee 1430 – 1530 16. Any Other Business 16.1 Update on Haiti 16.2 Technology and Refractive Error Committee Papers [attached] 16.3 IAPB Members’ Contact Information [PPT] [PPT] [PPT] [PPT] By P. Ackland D. Green J. Conlon B. Holden M. Thazhathu P. Ackland P. Ackland C. Garms B. Doolan P. Ackland P. Ackland [PPT] P. Ackland P. Ackland C. Garms C. Garms P. Ackland P. Ackland P. Ackland IAPB BOARD OF TRUSTEES MEETING March 17-18, 2010 (Wednesday/Thursday) WHO-EMRO Headquarters for March 17 & InterContinental Hotel for March 18 Cairo ATTENDANCE LIST ATTENDING Trustees IAPB Officers 1 Mr. Christian Garms (President & Chairman of the Board) 2 Prof. Hugh R. Taylor (Vice President) 3 Mr. Adrian Poffley (Treasurer) Founding Members Mr. Arnt Holte (WBU) 5 Prof. Bruce E. Spivey (ICO) 4 Group A Members Dr. Abdulaziz AlRajhi (IMPACT-EMRO) 7 Dr. Robert Chappell (WCO) 8 Mr. Brian Doolan (FHF) 9 Dr. Caroline Harper (SSI) 10 Prof. Brien A. Holden (Vision CRC) Proxy for March 18: Mr. Christian Garms 11 Mr. Mohan Jacob Thazhathu (ORBIS) 12 Mr. Johannes Trimmel (Light for the World) 6 Group B Representatives Dr. Danny Haddad (ITI) 14 Ms. Kathy Spahn (HKI) 13 Group E Patron Ms. Joanna Conlon (SCB SiB) 15 Special Invitees WHO Representative 1 Dr. Ala Alwan (ADG) 2 Dr. Ivo Kocur (PBD Team Leader) 3 Dr. Hussein Gezairy (WHO Reg. Director for EMR) Others Mr. William Felch (ICO) 5 Ms. Jennifer Gersbeck (VISION 2020 Australia) 6 Mr. David Green (Eye Fund Consultant) 7 Mr. Terje Iversen (VISION 2020 Norway) 8 Dr. Serge Resnikoff (Laboratories Théa) 4 IMPACT-EMRO Ms. Rasha AlShubaian (IMPACT-EMRO) 9 10 11 Ms. Vestal Fick (IMPACT-EMRO) Dr. Mansur Rabiu (IMPACT-EMRO) IAPB Office Mr. Peter Ackland (IAPB CEO) 13 Mr. Julian Metcalfe (IAPB Dir. of Advocacy) 14 Mr. Tim Morris (IAPB CFO) 15 Mr. Tejah Balantrapu 16 Ms. Abi Smith 17 Ms. Evelyn Uy 12 Regional Chairs HRH Prince Abdulaziz Bin Ahmad Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud (Reg. Chair, EMR) 17 Dr. Rainald Duerksen (Fundacion Vision) 18 Ms. Pat Ferguson (OEU & Reg. Chair, North America) 19 Prof. Volker Klauss (Reg. Chair, Europe) 20 Dr. Richard Le Mesurier (Reg. Chair, Western Pacific) 16 APOLOGIES Mr. Al Brandel (LCIF) - proxy: Ms. Pat Ferguson 2 Prof. Allen Foster (CBM) - proxy: Mr. Christian Garms 3 Dr. Wladimir Hogenhuis (Merck & Co.) 4 Dr. Michael Kaschke (Carl Zeiss) - proxy: Mr. Christian Garms 5 Dr. Rabiul Husain (Reg. Chair, South East Asia) – proxy: A/Prof. Richard Le Mesurier 6 Prof. Kovin Naidoo (ICEE & Reg. Chair, Africa) – proxy: Prof. Brien Holden (Mar 17) & Mr. Christian Garms (Mar 18) 1