Dear member of the International Orthoptic Association,
In the wake the World Health Organization’s recent decision to declare COVID-19 a global pandemic, the International Orthoptic Association (IOA), in close consultation with the Congress Local Organizing Committee from the British and Irish Orthoptic Society (BIOS) and the Congress Scientific Program Committee, has decided to postpone the 14th Congress of the International Orthoptic Association for 20-23 June 2020 in Liverpool, UK. Our main concern is the health of everyone involved and reducing potential health risks for our members. By postponing, we are able to minimize costs to our association and keep the United Kingdom as our host for the 14th congress of the IOA.
The congress is being rescheduled for 2022 at the same venue. Further details, including registration fees, abstract management and exact dates of the congress will be released within the next few weeks. Just so you know, the planning of the 2020 conference was well underway, with already almost 300 registered participants and many confirmed sessions scheduled to take place over the course of four days. The program included the Zoran Georgievski Education Forum, several workshops, scientific sessions on stroke, myopia, accommodation & vision, strabismus, neuro, amblyopia & screening and the orthoptic profession: core roles and extended practice. A special occasion during our planned congress was the Burian Lecture from Professor Helen Davis, three scientific symposiums and the Annual General meeting of the IOA. All of these events will be rescheduled for 2022.
The congress organizers invite you to continue your engagement with our congress and will work towards ensuring the same program with an even greater level of participation in 2022. Many thanks to David Newsham and Darren Oystreck and the organizing committee for all the behind-the-scenes work put in so far on the 2020 meeting.
Stay healthy and look after each other!
Jan Roelof (JR) Polling, IOA president
