GLOBAL EXPERTISE

Its goals would be the open exchange of culture, skills, knowledge and new ideas. It would also be an organisation which promoted international clinical care, education and research collaboration, and thus was born the World Society of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (WSPOS).

There are now over 42 member societies representing all continents. In addition to its meeting, other WSPOS initiatives include: areas of Research collaboration (aRc), networks of international individuals who have common research interests, and organising international training centres called Key Opportune Global Hubs (KOGHs).

An international committee of WSPOS members (Global Advisory Council, or GAC) develop a KOGH. WSPOS supports members to attend a KOGH ideally suited to them based on educational interest, geography, language and culture.

Over this past decade there have been three international meetings, the most recent being the 3rd World Congress of Paediatric Ophthalmology and Strabismus (WCPOS) in the breathtaking city of Barcelona, Spain.

This congress was like no other in that it allowed those who care for children and their families to equally share their varied international and cultural perspectives, from clinical care and research to cuisine and entertainment.

The programme was filled with blended and provocative information in the forms of keynote and named lectures, skills transfer and instructional courses, didactic sessions, electronic poster and video presentations, and novel audience-directed sessions.

WSPOS is a society that believes expertise is a global phenomenon. This was evidenced by the presence of over 1,200 delegates representing over 100 countries. This is a testament to the robust state of our profession, and how passionate international colleagues are to share their experiences with each other.

This historic time for WSPOS provided an open, relevant and trusted service to the worldwide community. The meeting and the connections it created, the ideas it generated, and the relationships it built, all provide a foundation for future challenges. We made new friends, were challenged by new ideas, and were excited and inspired by our common goal of restoring and preserving the visual health of our children.

The increasingly global nature of expertise and the need for enhanced knowledge sharing were evident at the congress in Barcelona. Among the highlights was the first Kanski Medal Lecture, honouring those whose work has improved the lives of children with ocular disease, given to Dr Helen Mintz-Hittner because of her work with retinopathy of prematurity. WCPOS also featured the Oscars for its video competition and a non-accidental injury Mock Trial, where two paediatric ophthalmologists took opposing sides in the case and discussed it as if they were actually in a court of law.

The WSPOS core value – that expertise is a global phenomenon – was clear throughout the entire congress, and its members continue to promote international collaboration as the cornerstone of its future development.

Richard W Hertle is a member of the WSPOS Executive Bureau. He is also Chief of Paediatric Ophthalmology, Director, Children’s Vision Center, Akron Children’s Hospital, Ohio; and Professor, Department of Surgery, College of Medicine, Northeast Ohio Medical College, USA