Renowned ophthalmologist, philanthropist, and the founder of the Eye Foundation of America (EFA), Dr. Vadrevu K Raju, said modern medicine has rendered childhood blindness preventable, at a Scientific Convention and Fund Raiser “Empowering Vision: Global Advances In Eye Care,” organized at the India Habitat Centre in New Delhi on January 31, 2025.

“Childhood blindness is a tragedy, but we can prevent it. Today, we make a new beginning in our concerted efforts to prevent and eradicate childhood blindness with the resources and the modern technology that are available today,” he said.  

Dr. Raju also added that childhood blindness has gone beyond just being a medical issue, it’s a humanitarian crisis requiring “immediate and sustained action.” He stated “Over 1.4 million children are found to be blind, and millions more suffer from visual impairments that can be treated and prevented if done in a timely manner…that is why we are all here today, in our efforts to giving hope for tomorrow, a world without childhood blindness.” 

The welcome address was delivered by Dr. Leela Raju, Organizing Chair of the event. Dr. Radhika Tandon, chairperson of RP Cender, was the chief guest and delivered the keynote address. Richa Jain Kallra, news anchor and host emceed the event. 

In her welcome address, Dr. Leela Raju highlighted it was imperative that mire people be made aware of the causes and means to reduce childhood blindness to eradicate it. Providing a direction to the discussions of the day, she said that the focus would be on “not just glaucoma, but cornea and pediatric ophthalmology. And of course, regarding retinopathy and prematurity, which is our real push in both Delhi and around India to reduce the burden of childhood blindness.”

Dr. Tandon, a global thought leader, in her keynote address, said, “A very, very big word of appreciation for the eye Foundation of America, as well as the Gautami Eye Institute, for taking this initiative, of getting people together on this platform, and also for envisioning a world, where two countries across great continents and opposite sides of the globe can work together, to make a difference.”

Drawing parallels between the clinical practices in the US and in India, Dr. Tandon added “where we have cutting edge technology and excellent surgical skills and a huge volume of patients, the combination of the thought processes and the energy that we have together can make a huge difference.” 

In a nod to the noble mission and novel efforts of the Eye Foundation, she said, “We hope, soon we will be able to have a very wonderful celebration with some very tangible goals, along with the broader goals. In the end, we want to see how much did we achieve. So, keep some small baby step goals as well. So, you can say yes, we achieved this.”

It was the first time in India and the first time interacting with the ophthalmology community here for Dr. Thomas Johnson, Neuroscience specialist at the Johns Hopkins Wilmer Eye Institute, who said, “…I think in many ways, what you have done here in your country is a real beacon for advancing eye care that is applicable all over the world. I know the work that you have done with vision camps and screening for preventable blindness and finding innovative ways to deliver care to people that don’t always have the resources to seek out themselves, is really inspiring and something that every country about the world should take note of and try to.”

For Dr. Charles Cole, a dedicated educator, Surgical Training Lead, American Academy of Ophthalmology, too, it was the first time in India. He thanked the planning committee of the conference for providing an opportunity to speak at such an esteemed gathering. Expressing his excitement, he said “I’m hoping this will be just the beginning. And I’m looking forward to sharing my thoughts on microdata platforms.”

Dr. Karan Bhatia, vice president of Young Ophthalmologist Society of India (YOSI) introduced YOSI in his address. The team, Young Ophthalmologist Society of India (YOSI) consists of President Dr. Diva Kant Misra, IPP Dr. Sonal Kalia, Ex-President Dr. Digvijay Singh, Vice President Dr. Karan Bhatia, Secretary Dr. Nilesh Kumar, Treasurer Dr. Aditya Sethi, and Joint Secretary Dr. Prasanna Ramesh. 

Followed by a traditional inauguration of the event by guests, the Young Ophthalmologist Society of India, Gautami Eye Institute, Eye Foundation of America, and The Rotary RI 3011 jointly organized a one-day long workshop on “Empowering Vision Global Advances In Eye Care.” The workshop had faculty from prestigious Eye Hospitals and Educational Institutes from around the nation in attendance. Experts at the workshop highlighted the leaps in research and innovation in ophthalmology. 

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