A New Era of Vision Health and Myopia Prevention and Management In Western China
The Founding Conference and First Academic Conference of Sichuan Optometry Association ushers a new era of vision health and myopia prevention and management in Western China
Hosted by Sichuan Medical Association and organized by West China Hospital, Sichuan University, and Optometry Group of Sichuan Medical Association, the Founding Conference and First Academic Conference of the Sichuan Optometry Association was held in Chengdu on October 24, 2020. This conference was also the 14th optometry academic conference of Sichuan Medical Association. Leaders from Sichuan provincial committees of Communist Party of China, Health Commission of Sichuan Province, Sichuan Association for Science and Technology, Education Department of Sichuan Province, and Department of Civil Affairs of Sichuan Province, experts and professors in ophthalmology and optometry, as well as company representatives, attended this conference.
Professor Jian Tang, Secretary-General of Sichuan Optometry Association chaired this conference and the inauguration ceremony of the Sichuan Optometry Association. The association is honored to have world-renowned experts in myopia prevention and management as the honorary chairman, represented by Professor Jia Qu. Members of the expert committee include optometry experts across western China. Sichuan Optometry Association aims at building a multi-disciplinary platform to integrate resources, and an interdisciplinary network for vision health development so as to contribute to our national strategy myopia prevention and management. Meanwhile, the association will also serve as a platform that enables mutual supports and knowledge transfer among teaching, clinical practice, research, and industry. As the first optometry association in the western region of China, Sichuan Optometry Association will serve for vision health development as in Sichuan, and strive to contribute to vision health nationwide.
Raymond Cao, Regional Director – Asia & General Manager, China, Euclid Systems Corporation, attended this conference.
As the pioneer of proactive myopia management around the globe, Euclid was elected as the standing councilor of the first council of the Sichuan Optometry Association at this conference.
The Euclid session themed “Proactive Myopia Management: from Good to Great”, was successfully held at noon. Professor Longqian Liu, Director of Optometry Department, School of Medicine, West China Hospital affiliated to Sichuan University, Chairman of Sichuan Optometry Association, and Yan Dai, Director of Ophthalmology Department, Mianyang Central Hospital, chaired this session.
At the beginning of the session, Professor Jia Qu, Director of National Key Laboratory of Visual Science and National Engineering Research Center, Director of Optometry Association under Chinese Medical Doctor Association, Vice President of Chinese Ophthalmological Society, Director of Medical Department of Ophthalmology & Optometry, Wenzhou Medical University, President of Eye Hospitals Group, Wenzhou Medical University, Director of Optometry School of Peking University Health Science Center delivered a speech on the current situation and development of Vision Health Science. As an integral part of national health, vision health concerns the entire life of people of all age groups mentioned Professor Qu. China has the largest number of people with blindness or visual impairment worldwide. China’s juveniles’ vision health plays a decisive role in their growth and even their future.
As popular science presents in a wide variety of platforms nowadays, the innovative patterns of science popularity keep emerging and more experts are engaged in this field. Such a trend enables professional, interactive, and innovative knowledge publicity which is both beneficial to all and targeted to individuals. It provides more people with access to richer and more comprehensive guidance on vision health, including myopia prevention and management. It contributes to a far reaching implication for China’s myopia prevention and management strategy.
After Professor Qu’s speech, Professor Zhengzheng Wu, Director of Sichuan Ophthalmology Medical Center, and Director of Ophthalmology Department, Sichuan Provincial People’s Hospital, shared her report, Application of the Database of Sichuan Children’s and Juveniles’ Vision Health. Professor Wu pointed out that it was necessary to digitally record children’s and juveniles’ health. Considering the actual needs arising from Sichuan juvenile myopia prevention and management, it is suggested to use Internet and IoT technology for vision health screening, archiving, monitoring and alert, scientific education and publicity, follow-up check management, and intelligent analysis. These measures are helpful to understand and analyze myopia’s progressive patterns of the youth, providing research data for the early prediction and management of myopia. The goal is to offer scientific suggestions for vision health of children and juveniles, so as to prevent and manage myopia for the young group.
Finally, Professor Yingping Deng, Associate Director of Ophthalmology Department, West China Hospital, Sichuan University, reported on Safety Issue of Orthokeratology. Professor Deng stressed that children’s overnight wear of contact lenses brings about inevitable complication risk. Therefore, the research on safety issue of Ortho-K lenses is critical. From a large number of globally reported cases about Ortho-K lenses safety incidents, we can see that such an approach is highly safe in general. To ensure safe usage, the compliance of optometry practice and education of complication prevention and management is necessary. Additionally, vision health problems should be noticed early and addressed in time with a referral if necessary. Myopia management practice must comply with regulations and consensus.
The Founding Conference and First Academic Conference of Sichuan Optometry Association concluded successfully on October 25, which indicates a threshold for the new course of vision health including myopia prevention and management in Western China. For years, Euclid has witnessed the rising and development of the optometry industry in the west region, and the dedications and efforts by optometry practitioners generations by generations. As a leading Ortho-K lenses manufacturer globally and a well-established brand in the optometry industry, Euclid will constantly devote itself to the optometry industry and myopia management as always. Euclid will partner with Sichuan Optometry Association to grow and innovate, in the hope to create a new era of vision health and myopia prevention and management in Western China!