Myopia Management Navigator resource launched

The World Council of Optometry (WCO) and CooperVision have partnered to launch an interactive educational resource on myopia management for eye care practitioners.

The WCO CooperVision Myopia Management Navigator takes professionals through the three ‘Ms’ of myopia management: mitigation, measurement, and management.

The resource contains content and practical advice in ‘Myopia Moments’ and webinars.

It can also be used in clinical settings to provide guidance for patients and families in discussions about myopia management.

WCO president, Dr Sandra Block, commented on the partnership: “It is crucial to educate both new and more experienced practitioners, and to expand their knowledge on integrating myopia management in their practices. We have made good progress, but there is still work to be done to prompt action worldwide.”

The new resource builds on the WCO’s myopia management standard of care resolution, which was developed and introduced in April 2021.

Elizabeth Lumb, director, global professional affairs, myopia, for CooperVision, explained: “The navigator offers a user-friendly online platform, providing a simple and accessible resource for clinicians, parents, and allied professionals to navigate their own educational path through myopia management.”

A team of ambassadors, made up of one global and three regional representatives, has been appointed to raise awareness of the navigator resource.

Professor Nicola Logan, from Aston University, has been made global representative, and Síofra Harrington, from the Technological University in Dublin, is the European representative.

Jagrut Lallu, partner of Rose Optometry in Hamilton, New Zealand, and director of Innovatus Technology, is the representative for the Asia-Pacific region, and Ashley Wallace Tucker, partner at Bellaire Family Eye Care and The Contact Lens Insitute of Houston, and course master for the Ophthalmic Optics Laboratory at University of Houston College of Optometry, is the representative for the Americas.

Lumb commented: “We’re grateful to the WCO for offering an opportunity to partner with global ambassadors, enabling us to extend our reach and raise awareness on a global scale. This collaboration provides us with an extra avenue to amplify and promote this valuable resource.”

The World Council of Optometry’s online resources on myopia management, including the navigator tool, can be found on its dedicated website.