January 25, 2024
Photo Credit: E+, Getty Images
ST. LOUIS — The World Council of Optometry (WCO) will be hosting “Myopia Management: From Theory to Practice,” its first Latin America-based virtual event, on February 20, 22, 27, and 29, 2024. Now, the organization has announced the speakers for the event.
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
The 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.
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.1 They cited challenges, including limited knowledge and poor availability of specialized lenses and other related products.
“Enhancing patient care through early identification and intervention is crucial to addressing myopia effectively,” said WCO President Dr. Sandra Block. “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 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.
Learn more about the full slate of speakers and register here.
References
1 Two reports by the Group Manejo de la Miopía LATAM: ‘Management of Myopia in Latin America: A Preliminary Analysis’ (2019) and the ‘Survey on Myopia Management in Latin America’ (2023).
