The World Council of Optometry (WCO) Myopia Management Standard of Care Pledge challenge is setting a new goal after having reached an important milestone. Since the pledge challenge was launched last year, 130 global eye care organizations and 50,375 individuals have so far pledged to adopt myopia management as the standard of care.

The organization, in partnership with myopia management category leader CooperVision, has set a new goal of 100,000 pledges.

Learn more and take the pledge HERE.

WCO President-elect Dr. Sandra Block said, “The response among optometrists, eye health researchers, contact lens marketers and optometry students worldwide to adopt myopia management as the global standard of care has been amazing. Individual and organizational pledges to date span 86 countries and all continents in the world. We are delighted to see so many are responding to the challenge and encourage those who haven’t yet to take the pledge today.”

The World Council of Optometry introduced the myopia management standard of care resolution in April 2021, defining an evidence-based standard of care comprised of three main components:

• Mitigation — Optometrists educating and counseling parents and children, during early and regular eye exams, on lifestyle, dietary, and other factors to prevent or delay the onset of myopia.
• Measurement — Optometrists evaluating the status of a patient during regular comprehensive vision and eye health exams, such as measuring refractive error and axial length whenever possible.
• Management — Optometrists addressing patients’ needs of today by correcting myopia, while also providing evidence-based interventions (e.g., contact lenses, spectacles, pharmaceuticals) that slow the progression of myopia, for improved quality of life and better eye health today and into the future.

The World Council of Optometry has a myopia management online resource featuring the standard of care resolution, pledge signup page, multimedia resources and practical tools and information for optometrists available HERE.

Click HERE for the full press release.

For more articles on the WCO, click HERE.

Myopia Profile, the internationally trusted clinical myopia management information center for eye care professionals (ECPs), announced several developments for its highly anticipated inaugural Myopia Action Month, scheduled for September 2023. The international event serves as an inspiring platform to bring together ECPs from around the world in a collective effort to combat the escalating prevalence of childhood myopia.

The launch of a dedicated website and ECP survey, plus the addition of several new industry sponsors, will further expand the initiative’s momentum.

“Early intervention and elevating the standard of pediatric vision care are pivotal in improving outcomes for children with myopia,” said Dr. Kate Gifford, co-founder of Myopia Profile. “Myopia Action Month encourages even more ECPs to be a part of the solution by providing them with the educational materials and clinical practice tools necessary to start taking action now, or for those already involved, to have a greater impact.”

The new, dedicated Myopia Action Month website (myopiaaction.com) is a central hub for exclusive news, resources, and activities updates. ECPs can sign up for timely e-newsletter updates leading up to the month-long initiative.

In addition, a “Have Your Say” survey empowers ECPs to share insights regarding the educational and clinical materials they want come September. This input will be instrumental in shaping the event to cater to their needs and aspirations, ensuring that Myopia Action Month becomes a personalized and impactful experience for all participants. Curriculum assets that will be shaped by ECP feedback include evidence-based and clinically relevant educational materials, practice tools, and online resources.

Six additional industry organizations have signed on as Myopia Action Month backers. Topcon Healthcare joins previously announced Premier Sponsors CooperVision, EssilorLuxottica, and Johnson & Johnson Vision. HOYA, Menicon, Ocumetra, SightGlass Vision, and Visioneering Technologies, Inc. have joined as Supporting Sponsors.

Click HERE for the full press release.

Related articles HERE