(PRESS RELEASE) ST LOUIS — As part of its efforts to further the adoption of myopia management as the standard of care, the World Council of Optometry (WCO), in partnership with CooperVision, a global leader in addressing myopia, presents its first Latin America-based virtual event, “Myopia Management: From Theory to Practice,”February 20, 22, 27, and 29 2024. Register for the WCO virtual eventhere.
Despite myopia’s growing prevalence around the world, including in Latin America, there is still a long way to go before myopia management becomes a standard of care among eye care practitioners in the region. Two surveys conducted four years apart, in 2019 and 2023, have shown that while over half of Latin American eye care professionals integrate myopia management into their services, a substantial portion are not actively engaging in such interventions.[i] They cited challenges, including limited knowledge and poor availability of specialized lenses and other related products.
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WCO President Dr. Sandra Block said, “Enhancing patient care through early identification and intervention is crucial to addressing myopia effectively. To do this, we need expanded education, research focused in Latin America, wider access to the tools for myopia management and support from the industry. The World Council of Optometry is enlisting the help of key opinion leaders who have adopted myopia management to spread the word through regional virtual events like this one. We thank all our collaborators and partners, including CooperVision, for supporting this critical mission to increase myopia awareness and treatment in Latin America and beyond.”
The myopia management standard of care resolution was introduced in April 2021, defining an evidence-based standard of care comprised of the three main pillars of mitigation, measurement, and management.
The February WCO “Myopia Management: From Theory to Practice” virtual event is the result of a collaboration with local organizations: Group Manejo the la Miopia LATAM, Asociación Latinoamericana de Optometría y Óptica (ALDOO), Colegio Federación Colombiana de Optómetras (FEDOPTO), Colegio de Optometras de Puerto Rico. Leading eye care professionals in the region will explore the myopia epidemic from their perspectives and share how they have made the three pillars of myopia management an integral part of their clinical practices.
Speakers include:
- Sandra S. Block, OD, MEd, MPH, FAAO, Dipl AAO, FCOVD, FNAP, ARVO, from the U.S.
- Carlos Chacón, OD, MSc, from Ecuador
- Edgar Dávila-García, OD, FSLS, FIACLE, NCLE-AC, from Puerto Rico
- Elise Kramer, OD, FAAO, FSLS, FBCLA, from the U.S.
- Angel Macedo, Mg. Optom, Lic T.M., from Peru
- Nelson Merchán, OD, MSc., PhD, FIACLE, FAAO, from Colombia
- Andrea Monteleone, OD, MEd, from Argentina
- Leonardo Orjuela, OD, from Colombia
- Héctor Hugo Páez, OD, from Colombia
- David Pinero, PhD, from Spain
- Ricardo Pintor, OD, FIACLE, from Latin America
- Nikolas Rosse, TMOC, from Chile
- Alejandro Tapia, OD, from Colombia
- Ariolfo Vazquez, OD, FSLS, FIACLE, from Ecuador
Learn more about the full slate of speakers and register here.
The virtual event will be held entirely in Spanish and divided into four 90-minute sessions over the four days, starting at 6 p.m. in Central America, 7 p.m. in Colombia, Ecuador, and Peru, and 9 p.m. in Argentina, Uruguay, and Chile on February 20, 22, 27, and 29. Registration is required but is free for those who wish to attend.
Visit the World Council of Optometry myopia management online resource featuring the standard of care pledge signup page, resolution, and practical tools and information for optometrists here.
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