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The Ophthalmologist / Issues / 2026 / November / Eye Health Should Never Be an Afterthought
Pediatric Optometry Interview

Eye Health Should Never Be an Afterthought

Santen’s Rie Nakajima discusses the company’s contribution to the WHO Foundation, the importance of myopia education, and the need to turn partnerships into measurable progress

11/11/2026 5 min read

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Clinical Scorecard: Eye Health Should Never Be an Afterthought

At a Glance

CategoryDetail
ConditionClinical topic addressed by the source article: Eye Health Should Never Be an Afterthought
Key MechanismsMechanisms or clinical associations described in the source article.
Target PopulationPatients or participants described in the source article.
Care SettingPublic health and national health and education systems; eye care services, including planned glaucoma quality indicators in Europe and patient education and visual engagement tools in Asia.

Key Highlights

  • Santen plans to support the education pillar of WHO's SPECS 2030 initiative through 2030, including work on myopia education.
  • The WHO Foundation partnership includes updating the MyopiaEd library and implementing and evaluating the program in selected countries; WHO leads the program and selects participating countries.
  • Planned evaluation areas include awareness and behaviors, integration of myopia prevention into national health and education plans, and evidence supporting broader uptake.
  • Santen also aims to support glaucoma care through quality improvement and patient education in Europe and Asia.
  • The interview identifies earlier patient involvement in research, evidence generation, and strategic decisions as an area for improvement.

Guideline-Based Recommendations

Diagnosis

  • The interview says eye care professionals need knowledge to identify myopia early; it provides no diagnostic criteria or testing protocol.

Management

  • The interview describes education about available myopia management options and lifestyle choices, including spending more time outdoors and limiting screen time.
  • School health programs are a possible way to reach children and families and are to be explored with national stakeholders. Digital tools are discussed as possible supports for education and engagement with a chosen treatment.

Monitoring & Follow-up

  • Santen plans to define indicators to assess patient outcomes, policy development, and decision-making.
  • The myopia program's progress is expected to be assessed in areas including awareness and behaviors, policy-plan integration, and evidence for broader uptake.

Risks

  • The interview identifies insufficient awareness of myopia, difficulty finding care or support for slowing progression, gaps in translating evidence into policy and practice, and challenges sustaining engagement with treatment.

Patient & Prescribing Data

Children with myopia and their parents or caregivers; the article also discusses patients receiving glaucoma care.

No specific medicines, doses, or prescribing instructions are provided. The interview discusses education on available myopia management options, lifestyle choices, and digital tools to support engagement with a chosen treatment.

Clinical Best Practices

  • Interview-described priority: support early identification of myopia and informed conversations between eye care professionals, children, and parents.
  • Interview-described priority: translate scientific evidence on myopia prevention and control into policy and everyday practice through coordinated stakeholder efforts.
  • Interview-described priority: include patient perspectives earlier in research and development, evidence generation, and strategic decision-making.
  • Planned activity: use measurable indicators to evaluate patient outcomes, policy development, and patient education activities.

Related Resources & Content

This content is an AI-generated, fully rewritten summary based on a published scholarly article. It does not reproduce the original text and is not a substitute for the original publication. Readers are encouraged to consult the source for full context, data, and methodology.

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