Optometry Australia Endorses WCO’s Global Standard for Myopia Management

The move aligns with Optometry Australia’s heavy emphasis on tackling pediatric myopia.

Optometry Australia (OA) has officially endorsed the World Council of Optometry (WCO) Myopia Management Standard of Care Resolution, supporting a structured approach to managing childhood myopia.

A centerpiece of OA’s adoption of the Resolution are the so-called ‘3Ms’ outlined in the Standard of Care: mitigation, measurement and management. These echo the Australian optometric body’s commitment to proactive management strategies like early risk assessment, prevention and long-term myopia control, as outlined in OA’s mission statement.¹

With this endorsement, Optometry Australia joins the Canadian Association of Optometrists (CAO) in formally backing the WCO Myopia Management Standard of Care Resolution.

Dr. Sandra Block, president of the World Council of Optometry, welcomed the announcement in a news release by emphasizing the urgency of addressing rising myopia rates.

“Right now, 1 in 3 children in the world are myopic, and that figure is expected to continue rising, so it’s more critical than ever that our global optometric community turn its focus toward this rapidly growing health concern, Dr. Block noted.

Breaking down the Myopia Management Standard of Care

The WCO’s Myopia Management Standard of Care—launched in partnership with CooperVision in 2021—sets clear, science-backed guidelines for tackling childhood myopia.² It’s built on three essential pillars:

1. Mitigation: Educating parents and children about lifestyle, dietary and behavioral factors that can help prevent or delay myopia onset, starting with early and regular eye exams.
2. Measurement: Regular comprehensive eye exams that evaluate refractive error and, when possible, measure axial length to monitor myopia progression.
3. Management: Beyond just correcting vision, optometrists should offer evidence-based interventions such as myopia control contact lenses, specialized spectacles, pharmaceutical treatments and lifestyle recommendations to slow progression.

A video on WCO’s Myopia Management Standard of Care Resolution. Source: Media MICE

A growing global movement?

The Myopia Management Standard of Care Resolution represents an effort by the WCO to organize a worldwide standard to address the alarming post-pandemic acceleration of the rise of childhood myopia. Dr. Block reinforced the global hopes for the Standard in her comments.

“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,” she said.

“We look forward to other country’s optometric associations also adopting this as a standard of care.”