Strategic and technical advisory group on the SPECS 2030 initiative: Report and recommendations of the first meeting, Geneva, 12–13 February 2025

Overview

The Strategic and Technical Advisory Group (STAG) on the SPECS 2030 initiative, a multi-disciplinary group of external experts, was established in June 2024 to provide high-level strategic and technical guidance and to ensure that WHO’s efforts align effectively with the needs of Member States. STAG’s role includes, but is not limited to, recommending policies for integrating refractive error services into health systems, identifying research priorities, and guiding global advocacy efforts. In the first meeting of the STAG on SPECS 2030, WHO had the objectives to receive high-level strategic support and guidance on actions and options to achieve the WHA-endorsed 2030 target on eREC; gather recommendations on effective strategies to increase country-level action on the integration of refractive error services and spectacles provision within health systems; and discuss priorities and strategic entry points to guide the forthcoming normative work on refractive error. This report summarizes the discussions held during the meeting, in February 2025.