Target participants are all APEC member economies:

They can be from Ministry of Health (government)and representatives from the private sector or civil society (such as CBM, IAPB, Fred Hollow Foundation), academics (public health department), or other stakeholders with 2 (two) years experience in eye care program in their economy and preferably have experience in development national or sub-national of eye care plan They will benefit from this project by sharing information and insights during and after the workshop. They can develop economic impact analysis due to visual impairment and blindness in their area. Long-term communication, exchange and collaboration in the local, regional, and international level after the workshop could be promoted by creating a health economic in visual impairment and avoidable blindness prevention and control network. Especially, this network can build a routine mechanism for the mutual communication and visits, meetings, exchange of the information via internet and other media. Based on the previous experience, there is a very high possibility of establishing such a network within APEC economies, especially markedly on increasing burden of economic impact related to visual impairment and avoidable blindness in Asian Pacific Region; and visual impairment and avoidable blindness prevention and control is the priority in most of the APEC economies.
Gender equity and women’s benefit is critical to the achievement of visual impairment and (avoidable) blindness prevention and control in Asian Pacific Region.
The invited speakers/experts and participants will attended by up to 50% of women. Gender equity is critical as women’s economics empowerment will be improved in preventing economic loss related to visual impairment and avoidable blindness in Asian Pacific Region since most of women are suffering of non-communicable diseases. With this event, women could increase their knowledge and capacity on health economics, gain equal opportunities to access the markets, eye care services, so women are physically capable of a range of economic pursuits and are prepared both educationally and technically for success in the workforce, in business, and in entrepreneurship and increase the awareness of eye health and policy changes and refinement to reduce the gender inequalities in the future which is according to one of the five pillars on women’s economic empowerment (pillar no. 3).
The criteria for selecting the nominated participant are as followed:

1. The participant must be able to present themselves in English
2. The participant must meet at least one of the following criteria

• have experience in eye care program development
• no/minor experience in economic modelling related with eye care
• have basic knowledge in eye care epidemiology

Language
The event will be conducted in English.