Educating Aussie kids about eye health with OPSM

The partnership aims to address the need for early and regular eye health checks in children to help combat the common eye condition affecting many Australians.

One in five Australian kids currently experience eye problems in some form with myopia being the biggest eye health issue affecting children today.* It is estimated that by 2050, myopia will affect at least 49.8% of the world’s population – or nearly five billion people**.

Healthy Harold will be donning specs for the first time in a bid to educate parents and kids on the issue of myopia – and share tips and advice to help curb the cause.

Carl James, OPSM Vice President Sales & Operations says, “We believe that partnering with a well-known character like Healthy Harold, will help us spread the word about the importance of eye health in children, particularly when it comes to myopia. Commonly known as shortsightedness, myopia is an eye condition where light is focused in front of the retina, which affects a child’s ability to see distant objects. Early detection is crucial for correction, and if undetected, it can lead to further, more serious eye damage in later life.”

There are a number of signs to look out for in your child including distance vision becoming blurred, moving closer to the TV, reduced performance at school, complaints of headaches, tired eyes, and squinting eyes.

Kellie Sloane, CEO, Life Education says, “We’re very excited to be partnering with OPSM to help raise awareness of the importance of looking after your eyesight, especially when screen time has become such a big issue in today’s society. And Healthy Harold, our mascot, will help us encourage Australian kids to look after their eye health”

References:
*Good Vision For Life, an Optometry Australia initiative
**The impact of myopia and high myopia: Report of the Joint World Health Organization – Brien Holden Vision Institute Global Scientific Meeting on Myopia. University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. 16-18 March 2015