Keep an eye on myopia this Myopia Awareness Week

Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) will be asking eye care professionals, parents and advocates to Keep An Eye On Myopia during Myopia Awareness Week 2023.

The global initiative will take place from 22–26 May.

BHVI will provide a variety of educational and awareness-raising resources to promote the need to make myopia management an essential aspect of children’s eye health.

Announcing the focus for this year’s awareness week, BHVI highlighted the importance of eye care professionals including myopia management as part of patient eye health, pointing to the advancing treatment options and increasing findings from bodies such as the International Myopia Institute and Global Myopia Awareness Coalition providing further evidence-based research for slowing myopia progression.

Yvette Waddell, CEO of BHVI, explained that there has been a “concerted effort” from researchers and producers of eye health technology to develop robust treatment methods for slowing myopia progression, suggesting: “We are now at a critical stage in the effort to curb myopia, where we have the tools to create meaningful change.”

Waddell continued: “It is now time to engage the entire eye health community, advising them of not just the importance, but how they can treat myopia in their practice with their afflicted patients ¬– putting to use the incredible bodies of research and advancements in technology that are pushing the case for a world where half the population doesn’t need to be impacted by this debilitating eye disease.”

BHVI shared that enabling eye care professionals to understand the treatment options available, along with the symptoms, risks and prevalence of myopia, is key to supporting conversations about myopia management in practice.

The not-for-profit organisation is “thrilled” to bring together leaders in myopia research, Waddell said, and “incredibly appreciative of the support we receive from the industry during Myopia Awareness Week in ensuring this global issue is tackled through a globally united effort.”

Information on the campaign and resources can be found on the BHVI website. 

The campaign will be using the hashtags #myopiaawarenessweek and #maw2023.

Myopia Awareness Week was relaunched in 2021 to bring attention to the growing incidences of myopia in children around the world.