Every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and build a brighter future. Good vision plays a vital role in making that possible, yet millions of children around the world still lack access to the eye care they need.

The 2nd Global Child Eye Health Symposium brings together global leaders from health, education, public policy, and technology to explore how stronger partnerships can help change that. Building on the inaugural symposium, co-hosted by the Foundation and the India Vision Institute in 2025, this year's discussions bring together leading experts from across sectors to share evidence, showcase innovation and advance practical solutions that can improve access to children's vision care worldwide.

With the aim of advancing collective global action, the symposium reflects a growing global consensus: child eye health is fundamental to education, inclusion and lifelong opportunity. Discussions examine how embedding vision care into schools, primary healthcare and public policy can help more children reach their full potential.

The panel discussions feature speakers from the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO), EssilorLuxottica and the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation, alongside experts from across the global eye health community. Together, they explore how collaboration across sectors can translate knowledge into action and innovation into sustainable impact.

Featured speakers include Ratna Jhaveri, Global Lead, Human Rights at UNICEF; Dr. Shelly Chadha, Team Lead, Vision, Hearing and Oral Health at WHO; Dr. Norbert Gorny, Chief Scientific Officer at EssilorLuxottica; Alessandra Senici, Head of the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation; Prof. Kovin Naidoo, Global Head of Advocacy and Partnerships at the OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation; Peter Holland, Chief Executive, International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness (IAPB), and Vinod Daniel, CEO and Managing Trustee, India Vision Institute.

The Child Eye Health Symposium demonstrates what is possible when organizations come together around a shared purpose. By combining expertise, innovation and partnerships, we can help make good vision the norm for every child.

Alessandra Senici, Head, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation

By working together across sectors, we can strengthen the systems that serve children and help ensure every child has access to the vision care they need.

Prof. Kovin Naidoo
Global Head of Advocacy and Partnerships, OneSight EssilorLuxottica Foundation

Across five sessions, participants explore the role of vision in children's development, the growing challenge of childhood myopia, emerging technologies for vision screening, the importance of cross-sector collaboration, and the policies needed to integrate child eye health into education and healthcare systems.

The symposium reinforces a simple, but powerful idea: lasting change cannot be achieved by one organization alone. It will require governments, educators, healthcare providers, researchers, innovators, and civil society working together toward a common goal.

At the Foundation, we believe lasting change is built through partnership. By bringing together diverse expertise and a shared commitment to children's vision, the Child Eye Health Symposium will help advance solutions that move us closer to a future where every child has the opportunity to see clearly and build a brighter future.

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Shape Their Future: A Global Call to Action on Child Eye Health

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