December 16, 2024
The recently named chair of the Membership Committee of the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition, François Couillard, CEO of the Canadian Association of Optometrists, met for an interview about his new role with John Sailer, Editor-in-Chief of Review of Myopia Management. Listen to the interview below (or read the text) to find out which international organizations recently became members, what plans they have going forward, and how to become a member.
John Sailer, RMM, Editor-in-Chief: Hello and welcome to Review of Myopia Management‘s interview series. I am John Sailer, Editor-in-Chief of Review of Myopia Management, and we are here today with François Couillard, CEO of the Canadian Association of Optometrists, and the new Chair of the Membership Committee for GMAC, the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition. Thank you for being here, François.
François Couillard, Membership Committee Chair, GMAC, and CEO of the Canadian Association of Optometrists: Thank you for the invitation. John, it’s a real pleasure to be speaking to your audience.
RMM: Yes, we’re happy to have you. Let’s get right into your involvement as the Membership Chair of GMAC. Can you describe your role as the Membership Chair of the Global Myopia Awareness Coalition?
GMAC: Sure, certainly. So, as Chair, my role is to work with the Membership Committee to identify possible new members and reach out to them. It’s very simple. So, over several communications via emails and meetings, we explain the benefits of joining GMAC and expectations of members. We also assist new members in the enrollment process and introduce them to the secretariat and other coalition members.
RMM: Okay, and then for your role this year, can you describe what has been accomplished this year?
GMAC: Well, I’d love to take the credit for what we accomplished, but I was just appointed a little over a month ago. But I’m pleased to say that over the past several months, GMAC was able to attract several new organizations. Really what we’ve been able to do is diversifying the membership to make GMAC a truly global organization. So, we’re very pleased to welcome several new members this year, including Optometry Australia, the BCLA, which is the British Contact Lens Association, a pretty large extensive organization, and the Singapore Optometric Association. Now, we’re also in discussion with several other organizations who have expressed an interest in joining. So, it’s exciting because it used to be that GMAC’s membership in terms of professional associations were Canadian, American, and we had the U.K. So now we’re really diversifying beyond our traditional catchment area.
RMM: Okay. Going more global with new members.
GMAC: Exactly.
RMM: So, you mentioned a few of the new members. Can you elaborate on who they are and why they’re important to the GMAC organization?
GMAC: Well, again, yeah, if you talk to Optometry Australia, the BCLA, Singapore Optometric Association, these are all professional associations who work at enhancing the vision health of their populations through their professionals, and myopia management has become a center of focus because of the threat of a global myopia epidemic that the World Health Organization predicted for 2050. The expectation is that by 2050, about 50% of the world’s population will be myopic. So, working closely with national professional associations gives them more resources and improves the outreach of GMAC in those countries. So that’s why they’re important.
RMM: Okay, and then you mentioned that there are some new members in the works as well. Any chance you can hint at who they might be, or where, or any information about them?
GMAC: Well, we are working with other national professional associations and also industrial entities, commercial entities. Unfortunately, I can’t share their names, but what I’d like to do is go back a little bit to the previous question you asked me and perhaps elaborate a little bit more on how these new players fit in the strategy of GMAC. Because in the past year, GMAC started making a shift to broaden its impact, as I mentioned, as a global scale. But your audience might not know that previous public awareness campaigns of GMAC relied mostly on social media campaigns with influencers predominantly in the U.S,, and by welcoming more national professional associations we’ll be able to use their vast networks and local capacities to amplify our work. So, these three associations, Singapore, Australia, and the British, and the Canadian, our association, will be very effective in reaching local professionals and the public. They will also contribute to an evolving discourse on the various ways to manage myopia and educate parents and their children on the importance of regular comprehensive eye exams to detect eye conditions early.
RMM: Okay, great. So good to see the organization expanding in that direction. So, for new members, what exactly is it that you’re looking for in new members and how can others get involved with GMAC?
GMAC: Yeah, we’re always looking for new members. We have several categories of membership, and they each bring their own strength to GMAC. The first one is the one we’ve just been talking about, the professional associations, and they provide their knowledge, their expertise, and reach of local countries. Now, industry members provide their know-how and resources, and they also support GMAC financially. We have several members from the media world, and they provide valuable in-kind services to GMAC such as this interview. Thank you, John, again. Finally, we are seeking nonprofit organizations involved in vision care such as foundations. So, anyone interested can reach out directly to the GMAC Secretariat. I’ll spell out the email here. It’s gmac@worldoptometry.org, and we’ll be happy to organize a dialogue and share all the information that is required for you to join.
RMM: Okay, great. We’ll include a link when we post this so we can bring them to you.
GMAC: Thank you.
RMM: So overall, what would you say are the ongoing goals of GMAC? Expanding on what you’ve already mentioned, and then the membership committee specifically?
GMAC: Thanks. GMAC is a coalition of leading vision care companies, eye health associations, and other organizations with a mission to increase public awareness of the growing prevalence and consequences of myopia. We all hope that early identification in children will lead to reducing the long-term impact of myopia. The membership committee aims to recruit new members who wish to support this goal. We hope that many more members will join and play a key role in driving myopia awareness and secure their organization’s place in a community with a common vision to help patients thrive. So, by joining GMAC, organizations can ensure they are identified as advocates standing powerfully behind today’s eye care professionals on the front lines of myopia management and treatment. Finally, by joining GMAC, organizations can stay ahead of the curve with access to the latest research, myopia trends, and consumer insights backed by data and strong leadership.
RMM: Excellent, François, and Review of Myopia Management is happy to help you work toward those goals.
GMAC: You’re very kind.
RMM: Yes, yes. We’re happy to do it. Thank you. And for my last question, is there anything else you’d like to add about GMAC in general or the membership committee specifically?
GMAC: Nope. Just one last pitch. For anybody who wishes to join a very dynamic organization that’s doing important work for patients all over the world, for our children, and for parents, please get in touch with us.
RMM: Okay. Thank you, François.
GMAC: Thank you very much, John.
RMM: And thank you for listening.
