HYDERABAD, India—India will host the 2017 World Congress of Optometry Conference in Hyderabad from Sept. 11 to 13 as announced by Susan Cooper, president of the World Council of Optometry (WCO) during the inaugural World Congress of Optometry in Colombia.

The congress is set to be hosted by the Indian Vision Institute (IVI) in partnership with the WCO and is predicted to attract around 2,000 delegates and 70 exhibitors from around the world.

“India has been gaining the attention on the world map of optometry through remarkable advances in education, research and combating preventable blindness,” said Cooper. “We look forward to having our next Congress in Hyderabad. We are also delighted that we can partner with IVI, an institution which stands for positioning optometry as a key player in eyecare delivery through its impressive range of initiatives across India.”



"The Congress will prove to be a landmark in the history of Indian optometry and will accelerate the positive change that is happening in Indian optometry,” Vinod Daniel, IVI CEO said. “IVI continues to work with government, health authorities, eyecare professionals, academic institutions and industry to make a sustainable difference for provision of eyecare in India; and this conference will be a celebratory milestone for India."

Professor Kovin, Naidoo, the current conference chair and interim CEO of the Brien Holden Vision Institute added, “Uncorrected refractive error remains a major cause of avoidable vision impairment and the second most common cause of blindness in India, with 39.3 million people affected. This huge number indicates the need for trained professionals, collective efforts and equitable solutions. The conference will help in taking a step toward these growth indicators by highlighting the cause and what optometry is achieving globally and in India."