Optometry Australia (OA) has officially endorsed the World Council of Optometry (WCO) myopia management standard of care resolution, reinforcing a shift from simply correcting vision to actively slowing myopia progression. 

A press release from WCO said the standard, introduced in partnership with CooperVision in 2021, is built on three key pillars: mitigation, measurement and management. This approach encourages optometrists to educate families on myopia risks, monitor eye health closely and implement evidence-based interventions such as contact lenses, spectacles, pharmaceuticals and lifestyle modifications, WCO said. 

With one in three children worldwide affected by myopia—and numbers rising—our global optometric community must act, said WCO president Dr Sandra Block. “We thank Optometry Australia for their commitment to addressing this epidemic and reinforcing the importance of identifying and treating myopia using the three pillars of evidence-based practice. We look forward to other country’s optometric associations also adopting this as a standard of care.” 

OA joins the Canadian Association of Optometrists in supporting this global initiative.