Start Early, Protect Vision for Life! Myopia Awareness Week 2026
2026’s Myopia Awareness Week highlights the importance of early detection and intervention to reduce the lifelong impact of myopia.
Building on the recent work by International Myopia Institute (IMI), including its white paper on the role of light in myopia[1], Brien Holden Vision Institute (BHVI) and Review of Myopia Management are partnering once again for Myopia Awareness Week. The partnership aims to spotlight the critical role of early detection and timely intervention, as well as key lifestyle factors, in reducing the growing burden of myopia worldwide.
Myopia Awareness Week will run from the 18th to 24th of May. This year’s campaign theme, “Start Early, Protect Vision for Life!” is the call to action, focusing on early intervention and prevention by beginning regular eye exams early in life. Along with adopting regular eye exams, we are encouraging parents, educators, caregivers, and health professionals to support healthy lifestyle habits by engaging children in daily outdoor activity for a minimum of 2 hours per day.
“We’re incredibly excited to partner with Review of Myopia Management for the third consecutive year for this globally important eye health initiative,” said BHVI CEO, Yvette Waddell. “Each year, we are reaching more clinicians, increasing awareness of myopia and its impact on eye health, while also highlighting the growing opportunities for clinicians to manage, and slow its progression in their patients.”
“This year, we are bringing in a greater public health focus to the campaign, equipping clinicians with resources to help raise awareness of myopia among the public and the steps that can be taken to reduce the risk of school-aged children developing it.”
“Myopia Awareness Week is more than just a campaign – it is a coordinated effort to protect the vision and futures of the next generation,” said Kristen Dalli, Executive Editor of Review of Myopia Management. “We all know that early myopia intervention is key to long-term eye health, and getting involved in Myopia Awareness Week further solidifies that message. The changes we make today mean we can prevent the onset or slow the progression of myopia and see longer tomorrow.”
Getting Involved with Myopia Awareness Week
This year, we are championing three clear actions:
- Booking regular eye examinations for school aged children
- Encouraging daily outdoor play for a minimum of two to three hours
- Continue to spread the word about myopia and effects on eye health
Coinciding with Myopia Awareness Week, BHVI will be releasing a new feature for the Myopia Calculator, enhancing the capabilities of the Risk of Myopia function to assist clinicians in having more informed, meaningful and ultimately impactful conversations with patients who may be at risk of developing myopia due to genetic and lifestyle factors.
We invite eye care professionals, educators, community organisations, and advocates to join the movement by sharing key messages across your networks. To make participation simple and impactful, a complimentary campaign toolkit featuring ready-to-use graphics, posters, and educational resources will be released in the lead up to the campaign. If your clinic or organisation would like to be a support of Myopia Awareness Week and featured on the official campaign website, please visit https://bhvi.org/maw-supporter-signup. For previous year’s supporters, we thank you for your continued support and will include your organisation in this year’s campaign.
The Importance of Early Action in Myopia
Myopia, also known as nearsightedness, is an increasingly common ocular disorder and the leading cause of visual impairment in children.[2] Studies predict that the global prevalence of myopia will reach 50% of the world’s population, or five billion people in 2050.[3] Uncorrected myopia is a leading cause of blindness and vision impairment worldwide.[4]
While research shows that outdoor time is effective in preventing onset of myopia, there is a growing body of evidence and an expanding range of treatments are now available to manage myopia and slow its progression once it develops.
Spending time outdoors is vital for overall health whether myopic or not. And for children aged 6 and over, as well as adults without myopia, getting two to three of outdoor time each day will go a long way to prevent and delay onset. If myopia is already present, an eye care professional can provide effective management and a range of treatment options tailored to the needs of the child.
Early intervention can make a significant difference in children’s vision. Therefore, prioritising children’s vision by scheduling regular check-ups with an eye care professional can detect potential issues before they begin to affect the child’s development.
ENDS
About BHVI
BHVI is an Australian not-for-profit organisation with an international focus on vision research. To meet identified demands in the ophthalmic field, BHVI invents commercially relevant technologies. BHVI:
- invents innovative designs for contact lenses, spectacle lenses and intraocular lenses that address refractive errors. In the myopia space, BHVI’s designs are at the forefront of worldwide ophthalmic industry efforts to slow the progression of near-sightedness in children, a condition that is sharply rising in prevalence worldwide.
- prototypes these innovative designs;
- validates the wearability and efficacy of those designs through independent clinical trials;
- protects those designs by obtaining patents in markets worldwide; and
- licenses those designs to the market leaders in the ophthalmic industry.
About Review of Myopia Management
Review of Myopia Management is a leading online publication dedicated to helping eye care professionals maximise the emerging field of myopia management. Jobson Optical Group launched Review of Myopia Management (RMM) in March 2019 as the first multi-platform digital asset dedicated to myopia management. Since its inception, RMM has remained committed to producing and sharing the most up-to-date information and educational tools for eye care professionals. The online publication has grown to be the leading source of clinical, practice management, and research information on myopia management – reviewofmm.com
[1] Ashby R, Harb EN, Ostrin LA, et al. IMI: The Role of Light in Refractive Development and Myopia: Evidence from Animal and Human Studies. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 2025;66(15):5. https://doi.org/10.1167/iovs.66.15.5.
[2] Mehta N, Wen A. Myopia: A Global Epidemic. Retina Today. September 2019.
[3] Holden BA, Fricke TR, Wilson DA, et al. Global Prevalence of Myopia and High Myopia and Temporal Trends from 2000 through 2050. Ophthalmology 2016;123(5):1036–42.
[4] Flaxman SR, Bourne RRA, Resnikoff S, et al. Global causes of blindness and distance vision impairment 1990–2020: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Glob Health 2017;5(12):e1221–e34.