(PRESS RELEASE) SAN RAMON, CA — Amplifying their dedication to advancing myopia management as standard of care worldwide, CooperVision and the World Council of Optometry (WCO) have committed to a second year of their thriving partnership. A pioneering myopia management standard of care resolution, a multilingual online learning resource for eye care professionals (ECPs), and a virtual event that drew interest from more than 100 countries and more than 1,200 ECPs are among early achievements that have laid the foundation for the year ahead.
“Armed with the growing amount of data and clinical resources, the eye care industry must act now to address the rising prevalence and severity of childhood myopia,” said Elizabeth Lumb, BSc (Hons) MCOptom, FBCLA, CooperVision director of global professional affairs, Myopia Management. “Alongside the World Council of Optometry, we invite and encourage ECPs worldwide to mitigate, measure and manage children at risk of developing myopia alongside those who already have myopia.”
Planning is now underway by CooperVision and WCO for a new series of clinical education resources and initiatives in the coming months, extending the partnership’s first-year successes.
In 2021, the World Council of Optometry board of directors unanimously approved a standard of care resolution advising optometrists to incorporate myopia management in their practices. The groundbreaking document defines an evidence-based standard of care focused on the three pillars of mitigation, measurement and management. It also advises optometrists to shift from simply correcting vision to managing the condition through early education and discussion with parents followed by treatment as indicated. Earlier this year, the Canadian Association of Optometry subsequently endorsed the standard of care resolution; other country-specific professional bodies are considering the same.
Building on the resolution, WCO and CooperVision jointly launched an online learning resource here that provides multilingual assets and approaches that enable busy ECPs—regardless of location—to apply a myopia management standard of care.
Most recently, the “Myopia Management: Putting It into Practice” virtual education event was attended by more than 1,200 professionals located across six continents—one of the most geographically diverse gatherings of ECPs in memory. Leading ECPs shared their perspectives on myopia management, including overcoming barriers and success stories. Event sessions are now available on demand here.
World Council of Optometry President Peter Hendicott, MAppSc PhD, said, “The proactive partnership between the WCO and CooperVision has been instrumental in supporting optometrists to adopt myopia management as a standard of care. It is important that, in changing our approach to managing myopia, we do so from an evidence-based perspective. Our joint work over the past year has provided optometrists with both education and resources to support and encourage them in the journey toward improved outcomes for patients. WCO looks forward to a continued partnership with CooperVision in 2022 to further support optometrists worldwide in addressing the challenges presented by myopia.”
To stay up to date on CooperVision and WCO’s efforts, visit WCO’s myopia resource hub here.