May 9, 2024
INDIA — The Optometry Council of India (OCI) has teamed up with industry leaders to have greater support of myopia management across the country. One of the coalition’s first initiatives is the launch a myopia management awareness campaign.
The campaign includes five animated short films that will be translated into seven local Indian languages. One film will be released in India every two months, and the final film will include clips from each of the four prior films. The OCI started releasing the films in March 2024, and the entire campaign will take one year. Each film will focus on one of five key themes:
- Sunlight exposure
- Spending less time on digital devices
- Comprehensive eye exams
- Myopia management spectacle lenses
- Orthokeratology for myopia management
Practitioners can access the videos on the OCI’s YouTube channel here, and they are encouraged to share them on their social media platforms to spread the word. The OCI is also encouraging practitioners to share the videos with pediatricians, school nurses, parents, etc. to garner greater awareness about myopia management.
The OCI created a Myopia Task Force of Indian experts working in the myopia management field. The Task Force published a Myopia White Paper, the basis of which is aligned with the World Council of Optometry’s (WCO) myopia management recommendations for stakeholders to follow.
OCI’s Myopia Task Force recently formed a coalition with industry giants, including EssilorLuxottica, HOYA, Menicon, Zeiss, and Seed. The coalition, dubbed “TEAAM” — Training, Education, Awareness, Advocacy for Myopia — aims to increase public awareness on myopia as a growing epidemic among children. They also work to arm eye care practitioners with the necessary tools to actively contribute to myopia management.
The main objectives of TEAAM are:
- Provide training and certification to eye care practitioners in India through a systematic myopia management practitioner course.
- Develop a network of mentors for TEAAM to offer training and support to fellow practitioners in their respective regions.
- Develop educational materials for the general public and concerned stakeholders that could be utilized by practitioners.
- Leverage the power of social media to conduct advocacy and awareness activities for practitioners and the general public.
