As Germany’s largest network for tissue donation, processing and transplantation, the German Society for Tissue Transplantation (DGFG) is looking forward to hosting the XXXII Annual Meeting of the European Eye Bank Association in Hannover from 16-18 January 2020. It will be our pleasure to welcome you for this occasion in the beautiful meeting venue of Schloss Herrenhausen.
As you know, the Annual Meeting of the EEBA is an important event with a very special meaning for the eye banking community. Over the scheduled three days, participants will have the opportunity to learn about new developments that will help them in their daily activities, to share their scientific and professional experiences and to join forces with fellow specialists to establish and promote better standards of quality and safety. The scientific programme will provide space for discussions on new visions and perspectives and allow for a deeper look into structures and processes in eye banking.
The target of the Vision 2020 global initiative – to eliminate avoidable blindness – has been chosen as the central theme for the Meeting. Every one of us contributes to achieving this goal every single day and annually our community is able to help thousands of people to regain their eyesight through sight-restoring corneal transplants.
To show how eye banking and cell and tissue transplantation has contributed to this global initiative, we invite national and global nonprofit eye care organizations to join us and to show us what they do in their health projects related to blindness, visual impairment and sight restoration. Furthermore, the establishment of sustainable and self-sufficient donation programmes worldwide are important parts of this focus. Improving awareness and understanding of donation practices and systems, as well as training programmes in different European countries, are accordingly highly welcomed. In addition, ethics, interregional and transnational cooperation, eye bank alliances and networks will be important issues to be addressed in overarching sessions. All these are important issues that carry a high responsibility, necessitating transparency and openness in all our activities.
Aligned with the added focus on donation, sufficient time will be set aside for participants to have the possibility to share their leading-edge knowhow in eye banking and corneal transplantation. Quality management, corneal storage methods, microbiological safety and influence of donor characteristics on graft outcome will be featured aspects of the programme and participants are encouraged to share their work through oral and poster presentations. On the exhibition floor, Members will have the chance to discover new products and services regarding eye banking.
On top of all this, we propose to organize a series of interactive training workshops together with a wetlab, where technicians, physicians and allied eye bank staff will discuss and reflect on important questions on donation, tissue processing and preparation, IT and databanking, and fundraising as well as public relations activities.
Complex processes, clean aesthetics, emotions, microscopic views… – next year’s EEBA Annual Meeting also intends to highlight the impressive images and perspectives that the daily work of donation, eye banking and transplantation have to offer. To this end all attending organizations and individuals are warmly invited to actively participate in a photo and art contest to make visible the “The Art of Tissue Donation, Processing and Transplantation“ to the EEBA community and beyond.
Hannover is renowned for its various international and industrial fairs. The large city forest and green areas around lake Maschsee, as well as its many urban public parks, make the capital of Lower-Saxony one of “Germany’s greenest cities“. You will get a taste of this green flair as Schloss Herrenhausen is located right in the centre of the Royal Gardens – an internationally famous ensemble of garden arts and culture that ranks among the most important historical gardens in Europe. Furthermore, the side events to the Meeting will take place in the city centre - perfectly located to explore Hannover’s old town district and buzzing shopping streets!
We look forward to meeting all of you in Hannover in January 2020!
For further details please visit the dedicated website for EEBA 2020 - 2020.eeba.eu!!
The EEBA 2020 Scientific and Organizing Committee,
Martin Börgel
Nicola Hofmann
Kristin Becke
Julia-Maria Blesin
